Thawing a Frozen Heart
by keshigomu
Summary: Elsa is afraid. Of her powers, and the man in the dark. Jack Frost is Elsa's only friend in her time of isolation, and may hold the key to thawing her fear. But when her parents die and the two friends are separated, can they reunite in time to fight the fear both inside and out? Or will it hold them back from sharing how they truly feel?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Thawing a Frozen Heart**

**Summary: This story takes place along the storyline of Frozen, with a few additions. It starts 3 months after Elsa's accident with Anna while they were playing, so Elsa is already in her isolation. Jack befriends a young Elsa, but they are separated when her parents die. When they are reunited, they have to face fear both inside and out. This is a crossover fanfic between Frozen and Rise of the Guardians. The pairing is Jesla, Jack Frost and Elsa, but you guys will probably figure that out pretty quickly.**

**Rating: This fanfic is rated T for some mild violence. It's not too bad though, it's safe enough for my 13 year old sister to read. There's no harsh language or smuttyness.**

**Author's Note: This is my first fanfic ever! I'm so excited! I was inspired to write when I read a fanfic by ReyZel616, so just a shout out. Thanks, you're awesome. Just a warning, I LOVE cliffhangers, and I've been told that I'm good at writing feels.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, or the storyline of Frozen. All rights go to Disney and Dreamworks for their stuff.**

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**Chapter 1**

It's been three months since the accident, but I still can't control my powers. My ice never seemed to bother me, but now just the sight of it frightens me. Three months ago, I accidentally shot ice into my sister's brain while we were playing. At least it wasn't her heart. That's what the troll had said. It wasn't my fault! I didn't mean to hurt her! It was an accident that's all! Three months, and I still was no closer to controlling my powers. The troll said that too. He said I have to learn to control my powers, but I just can't! Everything I touch just seems to freeze over! Father says not to worry; that I'll learn eventually. I just don't want to hurt anyone.

I bury my face into my pillow and try to go back to sleep. Eventually I give up and just lie there staring at the frost creeping over my ceiling. "Don't feel, don't feel!" I whisper to myself, squeezing my eyes shut. Suddenly I hear a noise outside my window, like a horse neighing, but somehow more eerie. A shadow swoops across my window, causing me to jump. "Hello?" I whisper nervously, hoping there wouldn't be an answer. A large black something rams into my window with enough force to thrust it open. The figure tumbles to the ground, obscured by the shadows of the night and what looks like black sand scatters all over the floor. Cold air whips in through the open window, and I pull my covers closer around me, more out of fear than the chill. I had only seen black sand like that before in my nightmares. It belonged to that awful scary man in black, the bringer of the nightmares that started after the accident. "Pitch Black?" I squeak, sincerely hoping that this is just a nightmare.

The figure in the shadows groans and stirs a bit, but does not get up or make any move to attack me. Curious, I lower my blankets slightly so I can get a better look. It doesn't look all that threatening, and it certainly isn't Pitch, too short. "Hello?" I try again, this time not quite as nervous. The figure still doesn't respond, so I muster up the courage to go close the window, which is beginning to let some snow in. I tiptoe past the strange thing, which I decided must be sleeping, and pull the window shut. The shadow shifts and I jump a little, my surprise causing the window's latch to be covered in ice. "Now look what you did!" I whisper at the shadow, scolding it. "You've gone and made me freeze the window shut! Now how will I get you out?" The shadow only groans again. My curiosity gets the better of me once more, and I creep closer to the shadow to see what it looks like. As I get closer and my eyes adjust to the darkness more, I could see that the figure is a boy. He's older than me, but I can tell that he isn't quite an adult. His skin is pale like the moon, not a sickly grey pale like Pitch. He's wearing simple brown leggings with a dark blue hoodie and no shoes. What catches my attention the most however, is his shockingly white hair the color of snow. I've never met anyone who had hair that color; it's lighter than my own pale blond hair.

The boy groans again and rolls over, revealing a smooth and kind-looking face, as well as a large bump on his head. Poor thing, he must have banged his head pretty hard. How did he manage to run into my window? He would have to fly to get this high. "You can see me. Interesting." I come out of my thoughts to see a pair of light blue eyes staring at me. I shriek and jump backward, spilling a small flurry of snowflakes in my wake. The light blue eyes widen, and the boy sits up. He's looking at my snowflakes with astonishment.

"I'm sorry," I squeak, beginning to ramble, "I didn't mean to sorryI'vebeentryingtocontrolitbutIcan't!"

"No, no, it's ok" The boy says, "I'm just surprised that's all. I never expected to meet someone else with ice powers."

Someone else? What does he mean? "Who are you?" I ask.

"You don't know?" he asks, looking surprised, "Usually people can only see me if they believe in me. I guess you can because you're a winter spirit too." Winter spirit? What does that mean? I repeat my question. "Oh. Sorry. Yes, I guess I should introduce myself then," he says, standing up, "my name is Jack Frost, what's yours?"

"Elsa" I say, standing up straighter and clasping my hands like a queen the way my mom had taught me.

"Nice to meet you Elsa" he says, smiling and extending his hand for me to shake it. I shy away from his hand. "It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." He says.

"I'm not afraid of you," I huff, crossing my arms into my chest so my hands are covered, "It's just that I anything I touch freezes. I could hurt you."

"I think you're too nice to hurt anyone." Jack giggles.

"I don't do it on purpose!" I cry defensively.

"Here, let me show you something." Jack lifts his hand and a tiny snowflake forms in his palm. Now it's my turn to gasp. Jack chuckles and flicks the snowflake toward me. I catch it in my hands and smile at Jack. Finally, someone who can understand me!

"It's nice to meet you too Jack" I giggle, finally letting him shake my hand. "I'm sorry you ran into my window. What were you doing up this high anyway?"

"I was doing my job." He says vaguely, lifting a long, crooked, wooden staff from the floor and leaning on it casually.

I raise an eyebrow. "Your job is to come crashing into little girls' windows?" I laugh.

"No" he blushes, "that was accidental."

"So?" I demand, crossing my arms like my mom always did when she was serious.

"You're not going to believe this," he laughs, "but I am a guardian. I guard the hopes and dreams of children all over the world, and I'm not the only one, there's plenty of us." I think my look told him I was not impressed because he quickly tried to explain more. "I was actually fighting a pack of nightmares when one of them pushed me into your window. Sorry about that."

"You fight nightmares? I gasp. I never knew that nightmares could be fought.

"Yeah, I know, it's awesome right?" Jack says excitedly.

"How's your head?" I ask, once again noticing the purple lump protruding from Jack's forehead.

Jack reaches up and tentatively touches the bump, wincing as he did. "Gosh, you have a hard window, missy! But I think I'll be ok."

I laugh. "Ok. That's good. Thanks for coming Jack. Maybe we can be friends. It was nice seeing you, but I should probably go to bed, and you should get back to fighting nightmares and stuff."

Jack smiles, "Okey Dokey Elsa. Should I come visit you tomorrow then?"

I nod, "See you tomorrow guardian." Jack gives me a mock salute and walks over to the window, quickly unfreezing the latch and swinging the window open. He gives me a little wave, then to my surprise, slides out the window! I rush over to the open window, expecting to see Jack plummeting to the ground. Instead, I see him swooping through the air, ending a huge loop then hovering mid-air to look back at me with a cute grin that just made me laugh. I wave, and he waves back before taking off into the night sky. I giggle and close my window. I think I'll be able to sleep now, knowing my guardian is watching over me.

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**Thanks so much for reading! If you liked it, please review, that would be great. I'll have more chapters coming soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi again! Here's chapter 2! I still don't own any of these characters, or the Frozen storyline. All rights to Disney and Dreamworks for their awesomeness.**

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**Chapter 2**

"Do you want to build a snowman?" my sister begs from the other side of the door.

"Go away Anna" I cry. It pains me to shut her out like this, I want to play too, but Papa says it's for the best. I hear her shuffle away sadly and I start to cry.

"Why so sad Snowflake?" I hear, feeling a cool breeze blow in from my window.

"Jack, I'm scared." I sob.

I suddenly feel Jack's arm around my shoulder, comforting me. "What's scaring you? Is it those pesky nightmares again?" he says.

I wipe away my tears and try to smile up at my guardian, "I'm scared that my powers will hurt my sister again if I can't control them. It makes me so sad to push her away, but it's for her own good." I can feel tears brimming in my eyes again and a sob choking its way up my throat.

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Jack whispers, wiping the tears off my face, "Tell you what, maybe I can help you learn more about your powers. Would that be good?" I nodded. "Well then, let's get started!"

For the next couple weeks Jack would come to my room every day to teach me more about my magic. Sometimes, when I knew my parents wouldn't check on me for a while, Jack would fly me above the castle so I could feel the wind and the sunshine again. It was amazing. "Jack, what if I accidently hit you with my powers? I don't want to hurt you either." I said one day while we practiced making snowballs.

"Don't worry about me Snowflake," He laughs, "I don't think I could get any more frozen than I already am."

I laugh, "So you wouldn't mind if I did this?" I whip a snowball from behind my back and throw it at Jack. It hits him right in the chest and makes him fall over. We both laugh.

"Oh it is on princess!" he shouts, summoning up another snowball. I dodge his first throw, but he gets me in the face with a second snowball. I gasped in surprise as I feel the cold shock of snow. I look at his mischievous grin and use my powers to form another snowball. Soon we are laughing and running around my room in a fierce snowball fight. When we're finally gasping for breath and our laughter subsides to giggling exhales, Jack and I flop down next to each other on a pile of snow.

"Wow Jack, that was really fun!" I gasp between breaths.

"Yeah" he sighs.

The next day, I waited eagerly for Jack to arrive. I sat by my windowsill looking to glimpse my guardian flying through the air. I soon became lost in thought and I didn't even think of my powers. The next thing I know, the whole windowsill is covered in ice. I jump back, recoiling my hands from the icy surface.

"Elsa?" I hear my father say behind me. I turn around to see him standing in my doorway, looking disappointed at my ice-covered window.

"I'm sorry papa!" I cry, "I just wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to freeze it…I…I…It was an accident!"

"It's alright Elsa," my father sighs, coming over to hug me, "I know you're trying to control it."

"But papa, what if I can't?"

My father thinks for a moment, "Perhaps we could get you some gloves to conceal it. Put the gloves over your hands so you don't feel it, and it won't show." I nod slowly in agreement.

By the time Jack arrived that day, my father was helping me slip the tiny white gloves over my fingers.

"The gloves will help," he says, "See? Conceal it…"

"Don't feel it." I add, and together we finish, "Don't let it show." Jack was disappointed by the gloves, and we spent most of the day discussing them or sitting in silence. Jack didn't push me to try my magic that day, and he left sooner than usual. I sat on my bed looking at the gloves when he was gone. They really do seem to help, so why do I feel like I have offended him in some way? Jack still continued to visit, but less frequently than before. Often we just went out flying instead of practicing magic; I loved the feeling of the fresh air streaming through my hair as Jack held my waist and Arendelle grew further and further away.

A few years later, the nightmares returned. "Hello Elsa, It's been a long time," a smooth, oily voice whispers.

"Pitch!" I gasp. I try to run away, but find my hands are chained so I can't move.

"Don't worry" Pitch cackles, "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you."

I pull at the chains and try to summon my powers, but I can't. "Let me go!" I shout.

Pitch laughs, an eerie laugh that echoes off the walls unsettlingly and makes me shiver in fright. "It's only a little nightmare princess, you'll wake up soon. It's so nice to see you've made a friend by the way. Jack Frost is it?" I try even harder to pull free, straining against the chains. How did Pitch know about Jack? Was he watching me? Pitch laughed again, "You can't win against me little princess. You're so weak, no match for fear. Are you hoping your guardian will save you? Well, let me tell you, he's no match for me either. Sure he can take out a few of my nightmares, but he doesn't stand a chance against fear itself. Oh, and one other thing before you go, I don't like having guardians around. You'll do well to get rid of him. You don't want to be my enemy." I woke up with a start, my blankets tangled around me and covered in frost. I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.

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**Ooh, introducing some conflict! Tell me what you guys think on the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Once again, I only own Frozen and Rise of the Guardians in my dreams. All rights go to Disney and Dreamworks for their stuff.**

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**Chapter 3**

"I'm scared! It's getting stronger!" I squeal, watching the ice coat my door even through my gloves.

"Getting upset only makes it worse. Calm down." My father says soothingly, reaching out to comfort me.

"No don't touch me!" I scream, jumping away from him. I can't risk touching anyone, the ice is too strong even for the gloves. "Please, I don't want to hurt you." I explain. My father nods sadly and leads my mom outside so I can have some privacy. I look down at my gloved hands, still clutched close to my chest.

"You're an accident waiting to happen." I hear Pitch's voice whisper in my head. He'd recently gotten in the habit of talking in my head instead of only visiting me in dreams.

"Stop saying that! I'm not a monster!" I sob.

"Snowflake?" Jack's welcome voice floats through the window. I wipe away my tears and try to fake a smile for my guardian. "Having trouble with your powers again?" he asks. Obviously he's not fooled by my smile and noticed the ice covered door.

"Yeah," I sigh, "It's getting too strong for the gloves."

Jack walks over to me and grasps my gloved hands in his cold ones. Slowly he slides the gloves off my fingers and places them on my dresser. "How about I take you flying, so we can have a little fun instead of worrying." he says. I nod. Flying with Jack always helps me relax. "Great!" Jack smiles, taking my hand and leading me to the window. Once we reach the window, Jack wraps his arms tightly around my waist and together we leap into the open air.

"Whoo hoo!" I holler. The wind rushes through my hair and my cheeks flush with excitement and adrenaline. Jack laughs and we swoop through the air, climbing higher and higher until we were only the size of birds to anyone in Arendelle who happened to look up. I feel free and alive up here, just Jack and I. No one to hurt, nothing to mess up. I wish I could never come down. Too soon, Jack and I touch down in my room again and he lets go of my waist. "Please Jack," I whisper, catching his shoulder just as he turns to leave, "That was so fun. Could you come back tomorrow so we can fly again?"

"Sure Snowflake" Jack replies. I didn't realize it was so late; the sky outside is dark. "Until tomorrow" he says, giving me a mock bow as he steps toward the window.

"See you tomorrow guardian" I giggle.

Years passed and Jack and I became even closer friends. He was my outlet, who I could just be myself around and have fun with. Sometimes if I was having an especially bad day, Jack would fly me out past the city into the forest, and we'd have a snowball fight. Even so, my nightmares steadily got worse. Pitch always seemed to be in my head whispering fears and doubts about myself.

One night, as my mother is tucking me into bed as usual, I whimper, "Mom, I'm scared. I don't want to fall asleep. What if I have another nightmare?"

My mother smiles and strokes my platinum braid. "Elsa dear, don't worry. They're just dreams, they can't hurt you." My child mind has difficulty believing her, and I think she can tell. She wraps her arms around me gently, and I snuggle gratefully into her embrace. That's what I love the most about my mother. While my father makes me anxious and I'm always afraid of hurting him, my mother always seems to calm me down and hug me anyway.

"Momma? Can you sing the song again?" I ask, yawning.

She smiles and squeezes me in reply, and begins to sing in her soft, clear voice.

_Silent Night, Holy Night_

_All is calm, all is bright_

'_Round yon virgin mother and child_

_Holy infant so tender and mild_

_Sleep in Heavenly Peace_

_Sleep in Heavenly Peace_

I yawn when my mom stops, eyes drooping. "Goodnight my little snow princess." She whispers, kissing my forehead and laying me back down on the pillows. I watch her leave my room before falling into a dreamless sleep.

Many nights later, I had a nightmare worse than all the others. I saw my sister, frozen into solid ice; my parents, falling through a thinly frozen pond and drowning; and Jack, being eaten alive by horses of black sand as Pitch laughed his eerie laugh. "An accident waiting to happen…" I heard Pitch's voice echo in the dark. I was alone, so alone, and powerless to save my family or Jack. Every time I tried to reach out to my sister, or freeze the lake before my parents fell in, or blast away the nightmares eating Jack, something trapped my arms and legs and covered my mouth. I was suffocating, the pressure over my mouth and nose did not lighten. I thrashed and fought, trying to break free, but I couldn't. I woke up in my bed to Jack shaking my shoulder.

"Easy, easy Elsa." He cooed, stroking my hair to calm me down, "It was just a nightmare. It's gone now, you're safe." But are you? I thought, remembering the image of Jack screaming while I watched helplessly. I bury my face into the soft cloth of Jack's hoodie and cry. Jack holds me tightly in his arms and rocks me back and forth until I'm finished.

"Thank you Jack" I sniffle.

"Want to talk about it?" he asks. I shake my head, and he doesn't say anything more. He only sits and holds me. "Everything is going to be fine" I hear Jack whisper as I eventually slip back to sleep.

It was several years later when I found out that everything was not going to be fine. One of the maids gave me the devastating news first. Both of my parents were dead. They drowned when a storm sunk their ship at sea. I couldn't bring myself to go to the ceremony. I would probably end up freezing everything and everyone there. I make a mess of everything. "Elsa? Please I know you're in there," I hear Anna knock on my door. She pleads with me to let her in, and I'm so distraught that I almost do. My hand is on the door handle before I break down sobbing and slide down to sit with my back against the door. My heart tears to pieces when I hear my sister on the other side whisper, "We only have each other, it's just you and me. What are we gonna do?" before sliding down to sit as well, with only the wood of the door separating us. "Do you want to build a snow man?" she cries. I can't take it anymore. My mind is screaming, "Yes! Yes! I really do! You don't know how much it hurts me to shut you out, but it's for your own good!" Instead I just bury my face into my knees and sob. I can feel that ice has covered the door and probably my entire room, but I don't care. After a while, I hear Anna get up and leave, which only makes me more upset.

Suddenly I feel Jack's familiar arms wrapped around me. "What's wrong Snowflake?" he whispers.

Instantly I feel my cheeks flush with anger. I don't know why I'm mad, or even what I'm mad at, but my grief pushes me over the edge. "What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?" I scream, "MY PARENTS ARE DEAD! YOU SAID EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE BUT IT'S NOT! AND MY SISTER…" I dropped back to a sniffling whisper, "I can't even comfort her at all." Jack looks dumbstruck at my outburst and opens his mouth to say something, but I'm not in the mood. "Just get away from me Jack!" I shout, "Leave me alone! I don't want you here anymore!"

Jack looks hurt, but he doesn't say anything. He only nods and whispers "ok" before separating from me and walking dejectedly to the window. I refuse to look at him, tears streaming down my cheeks. I knew he had left when I felt the breeze from my window wash over me. The cold blows away the heat of my anger, and I want him to come back. Why did I tell him to go away? I think about rushing to the window and pleading for him to come back, to forget all the things I'd said, but in my heart I know he is long gone.

"Pitch was right," I sob, curling up against the door, "I make a mess of everything."

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**Tell me what you think! Thank you so much for reviewing my other chapters! I love hearing what you guys think. I'll probably have chapter 4 done sometime this week, but in the meantime, enjoy! The song in this chapter is Silent Night, which I quite obviously do not own. I picked that specific song because it was the song _my_ dad would sing to me when I was little, not because it has any connection to the characters.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey again! I would apologize for not posting sooner, but you probably just want to read the chapter and not waste your time on my excuses. I'm posting two chapters at once though, so yay! If anyone thinks that the fact that I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians has changed since the first three chapters, then I'll say it again. I sadly still do not own either of those movies, and all rights go to Disney and Dreamworks for all their creative genius.**

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**Chapter 4**

It's coronation day, the day I've been dreading for 3 whole years. Not that I don't feel ready to be queen, I'm sure I can handle the responsibility, I'm just scared. Today, if I make one wrong move, everyone will know about my powers. "Be the good girl you always have to be…" I sigh to myself as I get ready. What if I freeze something in front of everyone? How will they ever accept a monster as their queen? I look at myself in the mirror, and choke back tears as I recognize my mother's hairstyle. I sigh and slip my gloves off to practice the trickiest part of today's ceremony. While the priest recites a bunch of formalities, I will have to hold up a scepter and golden ball in front of the crowd. With my gloves, that wouldn't be a problem. Over the years I've gotten decently good at hiding my powers when I wear them. The problem is, I'm not allowed to wear the gloves for that part of the ceremony. I reach out to grasp the candle stick and jewelry box on my dresser that I'm using to practice. "Conceal, don't feel…" I recite to myself. Soon however, the items are covered in ice. I sigh and place them back on the dresser. How will I control it in time for the ceremony?

"They'll never accept you." Pitch whispers in my ear, "Nobody wants a monster as their queen. You can't help but hurt people if you can't even hold a silly candle stick without freezing it."

"Shut up Pitch." I growl. It's almost time for the gates to open. "It's only for today…" I say to comfort myself as a pull my gloves back on.

"We both know that's not true." Pitch taunts. I open my door and order the guards to open up the gates. Pitch laughs behind me and I try to block out his whispering words. Today is the day I have to get my powers under control, or the whole kingdom will learn my secret.

The choir sings as the priest places the small tiara on my head. Anna stands next to me, but I try not to look at her. She's waving at someone in the crowd. Typical Anna, always cheery and friendly. The priest brings me out of my thoughts by presenting the scepter and globe on a tiny velvet pillow. I reach for them, hoping he won't notice that I haven't taken off my gloves. He clears his throat, "Your majesty, the gloves." He whispers. So he did notice. Shakily I pull the gloves off of my fingers and place them gently on the pillow. 'Get it together Elsa' I think to myself as I take a shuddering breath and pick up the scepter and globe. The priest begins reciting but I can't even hear him. My entire existence is focused on keeping the metal objects in my hands from freezing. 'Don't let it show, don't let it show!' my mind screams. The metal is so cool. I look down at them. A thin layer of ice spreads from my hands across the surface. "Such a little thing," I hear Pitch whisper, "But it can change your world. They will never accept you. Why continue hiding it?"

"Stop it, stop it!" my mind shouts. I try to block out Pitch's words, "Don't feel. Don't feel." I think. Then finally, I hear the priest say the closing words. I quickly shove the scepter and globe back onto the pillow and yank my gloves over my hands. It's done. I turn back and smile at the crowd, who cheer and clap for their new queen.

Now for the festivities. A servant announces my entrance to the ball and I make my regal walk to the front of the room. Anna is placed beside me and the crowd claps for us both, then returns to the party. I can see Anna is nervous being this close to me. "Hi" I say, trying to break the tension.

"Hi me?" she asks, obviously startled to hear my voice. I nod. "Oh…umm…hi" she stammers.

I try again to stimulate the conversation, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you! You look beautiful-er!" she tries, "Oh, I mean not fuller, you don't look fuller, just more beautiful."

"Thank you." I laugh. Anna and I talk about the party for a bit, but then a servant interrupts by introducing some weasel-town duke to me. The duke says something about trade and then offers to dance with me, performing some kind of elaborate twirl ending in a bow. The depth of his bow causes the wig he's wearing to flop forward. Anna and I gasp and attempt to conceal our snickers. I clear my throat and try to act professional, "Thank you, but I don't dance." He looks disappointed and without thinking I add, "But my sister does."

"Oh! Well, lucky you." He says, grabbing my sister's arm.

"No I don't think…" she tries to protest as he drags her off to the dance floor.

"Sorry." I giggle, waving at Anna. A few minutes later she returns looking worn out. We laugh and joke about the weasel duke's 'lively' dancing and Anna rubs her toes from where he accidently stepped on her. "Are you ok?" I ask.

"Yah, I've never been better. This is so nice." She sighs, "I wish it could be like this all the time."

I think about how happy Anna has been with all the festivities and how nice it is to see everyone in the castle having a great time. "Me too" I sigh. But Pitch's words come back to me, 'They will never accept you. You're an accident waiting to happen. You can't help but hurt people, you're a monster.' "But it can't…" I tell Anna, turning away so I don't have to see her sad face.

"Why not?" she tries to ask, reaching for my shoulder.

"It just can't!" I shout, pulling away from her. Anna sounds like she's about to cry when she excuses herself. I watch her go, hating myself for having to do this to her. For a while, everything passes as somewhat of a blur. Kings and dignitaries from other lands come to congratulate me and introduce themselves during the party. I curtsy and exchange greetings, smiling and telling countless random people how glad I am they could make it. Then Anna is back. She's brought someone with her whom she introduces as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.

"We would like…" She giggles, "Your blessing…on…our marriage!"

"Marriage?" I say, shocked. She's been gone for a couple hours at the most. What happened?

"Yes!" she squeals, then starts rambling about the details, sandwiches, and something about twelve brothers coming to STAY HERE?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down." I'm just trying to wrap my head around what she's just said. "No one's brothers are staying here, no one is getting married." Anna stops rambling and looks confused. "Can I talk to you please? Alone?" I ask. It's time she should know why the castle must remain shut and why I have to be alone.

"No." she refuses, "Whatever you have to say, you can say to both of us." She doesn't understand. How could she? No I can't say what I have to say in front of both of them. 'Monster…' Pitch's voice haunts me.

"Fine." I huff, "You can't marry a man you just met." She tries to tell me that its true love, but I stop her. "Anna what do you know about true love?"

"Well more than you! All you know is how to shut people out!" She shouts. I'm taken aback. Is this what she thinks of me? Pitch keeps whispering, "They'll never accept you. You're just a monster, all you can do is hurt others."

"You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no." I state determinedly. I turn away, trying to shut out Pitch's voice. Suddenly I feel Anna grab my glove and jerk it free. I panic and try to grab it back, but Anna holds it out of my reach. "Give me my glove!" I cry.

"Elsa please! I can't live like this anymore!" Anna begs. I tuck my uncovered hand close to my chest to conceal it. I look at Anna's pained expression. She shouldn't have to share my burden. I have to be alone, but that doesn't mean she does.

"Then leave." I say, tears brimming in my eyes. I turn and begin walking away. Anna's voice echoes in my mind, "All you know is how to shut people out!"

"What did I ever do to you?" She screams after me. I flinch at her voice, and people around us start to stare.

"Enough Anna." I say. Why can't she just leave me alone? She doesn't understand anything!

"No, why? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so afraid of?" I hear Anna shout behind me.

Between her shouts and Pitch's constant whispers I can't think clearly. The word 'monster' keeps swirling through my mind and I can see that people are starting to stare at the scene unfolding between Anna and I. Why can't everyone just leave me ALONE? "I SAID ENOUGH!" I shout. I spin around and a wall of pointed ice divides me from the rest of the room. What have I done? Everyone jumps back from the barrier, surprised and scared. I've tried all day to keep my powers hidden, but now I just revealed myself to the entire room. "You always make a mess," Pitch says, "Why, you're doing it right now."

Anna looks frightened and appalled. "Elsa…" She whispers, like she doesn't know who I am anymore. Horrified, I clutch my exposed hand into my chest and feel frantically for the doorknob behind me. All I want to do now is get away, get far away from what I've done. I jerk the door open and start running.

"Monster. Monster!" I hear the duke's accusing voice echo as I run through the forest. The terrified faces of the people, my people, cowering away from me is seared into my brain and refuses to wash away in my tears. I can't see where I'm going. I stumble over a tree root, but I keep running. I never want to stop running until I'm so far away, I will never hurt anyone ever again. I'm trying to outrun the fear, the accusations, and Pitch's voice. "I knew that this would happen. It was only a matter of time." Pitch says sadly, "I hope you realize, no one can ever accept you. But I understand. I know what it's like to be cast out, feared and hated. Let me help you."

"Leave me alone Pitch! I hate you!" I shout.

"Fine. You want to be left alone, done." Pitch growls, "But I'll be back. You can't get rid of me forever."

I ran in silence for a long time until I finally decided that he was actually gone. I stop for a minute to catch my breath and take a look at my surroundings. I was in a forest, that's all I could tell. I have never actually been this far from Arendelle on foot. I look up, suddenly longing to be flying with Jack again. Why did I ever tell him to leave? Anna was right, I'm only good at shutting people out. I start walking again and try to think of a place I would like to go. I remember seeing valleys and forests and rivers when flying with Jack, and… "The North Mountain". Far enough away and isolated enough that I could live alone, it was perfect.

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**I know this chapter was not too exciting because it mostly followed the events of the coronation in Frozen, but I promise, things will get more exciting later on. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! Keep telling me what you think, especially if you have questions or anything.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So I'm trying out my first point of view switch in this chapter. This should be interesting. Leave a review to tell me what you think! Also, just in case you didn't see me say it for the first four chapters, I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians.**

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**Chapter 5 - **Jack's POV

Sandy and I had been chasing nightmares all night. North says that Pitch must be getting stronger with all the nightmares we had seen over the past couple months. We can't let Pitch return and threaten the children of the world. One of the nightmares in the pack Sandy and I are chasing suddenly breaks off from the others. "I got it!" I yell to Sandy before veering off to follow it. In a blast of ice from my staff, the nightmare disintegrates. As I watch the specks of black sand spiral away through the air, I suddenly notice where I am. Miles beneath me, the city of Arendelle twinkles with candlelight from a thousand windows. Memories of a little girl with ice powers swarm in my head. It couldn't hurt to go check on her really quick could it? Sandy was more than capable of handling that pack of nightmares, and we had planned to return to the Pole soon anyway. I found myself gliding down to a familiar window. It's been three years since Elsa told me to leave. Could she really still be mad at me? I peek inside the window, but the room is empty. All around me, snow begins to fall. For a second I wonder if I'm causing it, but I soon realize that I'm not. "Elsa?" I wonder aloud. Quickly, I fly to the courtyard of the castle, where I had seen the most people earlier.

"The queen has cursed this land!" a skinny old man was yelling frantically at the crowd, "She must be stopped!" 'Queen?' I wondered, the realization suddenly hitting me. Elsa must have been crowned queen, but something happened. Where was she?

"…She was scared, she didn't mean for any of this." A girl was telling the old man. It took me a minute, but I finally recognized her as princess Anna, Elsa's little sister. What was going on? "Tonight was my fault," Anna continued, "I pushed her, so I'm the one that needs to go after her." So that's it. Elsa must have gotten frightened, accidently revealed her powers, and then ran off. The thought of her out there all alone, upset and frightened, made me feel bad. I should have been here, to help her and support her. I flew off without listening more. I had to find her. I flew for a long time, over forests and rivers and little isolated cottages with their warm light and puffing chimneys. She could be anywhere! Thick snow started covering the ground and trees. Lakes froze over and the chilly wind picked up in strength. When I got into the mountains, I had to land because the wind was too bad to fly in. I couldn't believe Elsa was causing all of this. She must be really upset.

The blinding snow suddenly clears, and the sight before me causes me to gasp. Right on the mountain, a beautifully sculpted ice bridge leads up to a magnificent palace made of solid ice. Dumbstruck, I walk slowly up the steps in a daze. "This is amazing," I whisper to myself, "I didn't know ice could do this." The doors to the palace swing open as soon as I reach them. I walk inside and spin around slowly trying to take everything in. There's a fountain of cascading ice crystals and a high arched ceiling, everything shining with reflected light.

"Jack?" a voice says. I look up a flight of frozen steps to a balcony and… wow. Is that…Elsa? My throat dries up and I can't speak. My heart leaps in my chest and suddenly I'm having trouble breathing. I'm glad that I have my staff to lean on or my legs might have given out beneath me. I'm pretty sure my mouth is hanging open like an idiot, but…wow. She's gorgeous! Her blond hair is let down in a loose braid over her shoulder with glittering snowflakes scattered in it. She's wearing a new aqua dress that sparkles like millions of tiny crystals, in fact, it looks like the dress is actually made of ice. The color works perfectly with her smooth, pale skin and dazzling, icy blue eyes. Have they always been that beautiful? I could stare into them forever.

Oh wait, she's looking at me. I must look so ridiculous. I quickly try to regain my voice to say something, but all that comes out is a hoarse squeak. I mentally slap myself, 'get it together Jack!' I try again, "H…hi Elsa." With that tiny accomplishment, I can finally speak again. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding…"

"No no, It's ok." She quickly replies, "I've missed you Jack. I'm sorry I told you to leave." I can't believe it. She actually missed me? I feel horrible for never checking up on her until now. All these years… I thought she hated me. I guess she took my silence as me being mad at her, because she starts to explain more. "As soon as you left, I wanted you to come back. I don't know why I exploded on you like that. Will you ever forgive me?" She looks like she's about to cry. I can't stand seeing that beautiful face upset.

"Elsa, don't worry about it," I say, gliding up the steps to her, "I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. I should have realized you were just upset about your parents." I wrap my arm around her shoulder like I always did to comfort her, but it felt different this time. She was actually as tall as me now, and she jumped a little at my touch like she isn't used to physical contact.

"Sorry Jack," She apologizes, relaxing a little, "It's been a long time since anyone's comforted me." She snuggles into my sweater, suddenly looking exhausted. "Should I make you a guest room so you can stay?" she yawns, "I wasn't really expecting visitors."

"Don't worry about me Snowflake," I smile, "You've had a long day. Let's get you to bed first." I follow her directions to escort her to her bedroom. Like the rest of the palace, it's made of beautifully sculpted ice, only simpler in design.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Maybe I could try making my own room." I laugh, "I've never tried building something with ice before. This is so cool!"

She laughs at my unintended pun, "Thank you Jack. Goodnight." She's even more beautiful when she's happy. Her teeth sparkle like freshly fallen snow and her whole face lights up.

"Goodnight Snowflake."

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**I'm so psyched about this chapter! It's the first time Jack sees Elsa as a beautiful young woman instead of a little girl, and maybe their friendship will become something more? Please keep leaving reviews. Your support means so much to me. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a little bit of filling Jelsa fluff here. I hope you like it. I'm probably going to get tired of saying this, but I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians. Also, thanks to everyone who has left me a review! You all really make my day. So just a shout out to ****DinoRhino, Ancient One, and Jessica: Thank you for leaving such nice reviews! Ancient One, I thought your reveiw was very funny (in a good way) because it was so short and direct.**

**So enjoy! **

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**Chapter 6** – Elsa's POV

I wake up to the morning light filtering in through my bedroom window. As I slip out of my blankets, I once again admire my handiwork. The sheets and pillows are all made from light, powdery snow, held together by thin, lacy frost so that it is soft and flexible. Everything in my room is an almost exact ice replica of my room back in Arendelle. I guess I haven't completely let go of my past. I change into my new ice dress and fix my braid before heading out of my room to go find Jack. It had been so nice to see him yesterday, I thought I would never see him again. I don't remember him being so young, he looked like he was my age. Maybe he's always been this age, and I just caught up. I hear his voice from behind me, "Good morning Snowflake."

"Oh! Jack! You startled me." I say, turning to see him. He's got that cute, mischievous grin that I've missed so much.

"I thought you might want breakfast," he says shyly, offering me a small sack. I look inside and see that he's brought a couple slices of buttery toast and a small hunk of cheese.

"Where did you get this?" I ask in surprise, picking out a piece of toast.

"Oh…umm…" he says sheepishly, "Well, there was this…umm…trading post I think. The family there had some extra food. I didn't take too much, and I didn't really have anything to give…"

"Thank you Jack," I cut him off, "The food is wonderful. I'll find a way to pay them back later." I smiled and took the bag from him. Jack followed me down to my dining room, and I insisted on making him a chair even though he said he was fine without one. "So how was your night?" I asked him as I sat down to eat my breakfast, "Did you find a place to sleep?"

"Yeah, I tried to make a little ice house in a valley not far from here, but it's not nearly as good as yours." He said, blushing. "Actually I ended up sleeping in a tree for the night because it was so bad."

I laughed, "Maybe I can help you fix it up later."

Jack looked even more embarrassed, but he agreed. "So what happened to make you come all the way up here?" he asks, trying to change the subject. When he sees me looking uncomfortable he quickly adds, "But if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too."

"It's ok. The past is in the past right?" I giggle, more to boost my own confidence than reassure Jack. I begin to tell him about the coronation and party, leaving out the parts about Pitch. For some reason I felt like Pitch would be angry if I told Jack about him, and images from my nightmares convinced me that angering Pitch was not something I wanted. "…so then I came up here and let it all go, and I built this castle." I finished.

"Wow Elsa. That's horrible, but yet amazing." Jack says when I'm done, "I can't believe those people said those things about you. I know you can let people in, I mean, you let me in here. And that you could make such an amazing thing as this castle from all that…is just…incredible!"

"Thank you," I sigh, "I just wanted to get away from people so I wouldn't hurt anyone ever again."

"You're not a monster, Elsa," Jack says. He reaches across the table to grasp my hand gently. For some reason, feeling his cool skin touch mine causes my heart to flutter and a chill to run up my spine. "I think you're beautiful, and your powers are too." Jack continues, "I mean, look at this palace! This is definitely not something a monster would make." I smile shyly. Jack always knows how to cheer me up. I look into those deep blue eyes and wonder when they had gotten so dazzling. I've never noticed how handsome he is. His pale face is so smooth and perfect, pinching up at the cheeks when he smiles. My breath catches in my throat feeling his strong hands wrapped around mine. I've never felt this way around anyone before.

I blush and quickly slide my hand free. "Why don't we go see what we can do about your ice house?" I suggest, doing my best not to let Jack see me blushing.

"Sure," Jack says, standing up from the table. "It's not far. We could fly if you'd like."

"I'd love to fly again!" I exclaim happily. I take Jack out to my balcony and let him wrap his arms around my waist. We've done this so many times before, but for some reason a swarm of butterflies flutter in my stomach this time as I feel Jack's touch. I whoop with exhilaration as we take off from the balcony, spiraling away into the mountain air. The cold air splashing over my face and tearing through my hair takes my breath away. More than ever, I'm aware of Jack's arms around my waist, holding me tightly to him so I won't fall. The sensation sets my heart racing faster than the rushing wind and I feel giddy in his embrace. Together we rise up through the tall, white clouds, trailing my fingers through their misty fluff and feeling the golden beams of sunshine warm us.

"Ready for some real fun Snowflake?" Jack shouts over the wind. Wait what? What is he doing? Before I can say anything, suddenly the gusts of wind stop. I feel weightless for a second, then Jack and I begin to plummet toward the ground. I scream and grip Jack's arm tightly as we spiral downward at dizzying speed. Jack is laughing but all I can think about is the ground screaming towards us. I squeeze my eyes shut and tense up for an impact that would certainly kill us both. What is Jack thinking? And why is he having fun with this? All of a sudden, Jack's arms jerk against my waist and our terrifying decent halts. I open my eyes to see that we've pulled out of our insane dive, skimming the tops of the trees in a snowy forest so close, little flurries of snow spiral off the branches into my face. I don't know why, but I start laughing. Soon, we glide gently to touch down by a small lake with a waterfall spilling into it. "I haven't heard you laugh in ages!" Jack says, letting go of my waist, "I like it."

"You could have killed us both!" I scold, trying to sound angry, but I'm still laughing. I just can't stay mad at him when he smiles like that.

"But I didn't." he laughs.

I roll my eyes at him, "Come on. Let's go fix your house."

His cheeks turned bright red, "Yeah, I'm not really used to having a house to live in. We guardians don't really need much sleep, so umm… I really had no idea what I was doing. It's horrible." Reluctantly, he led me the edge of the forest. A thin sheet of ice vaguely in the shape of a roof was wedged tightly between two trees, which was probably the only reason it hadn't fallen yet. The remains of what I assume had once been the walls lay scattered in the grass. Only one wall was still partially standing, supporting a door so small, I would have to crawl to get through it. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Jack was becoming increasingly embarrassed as I surveyed the wreckage.

"Well," I started, "It's not too bad considering you've never tried to make anything like this before." I didn't bother to tell him that the ice palace had been my first attempt as well.

Jack pouted, "I've only ever used my powers to help people have fun and to fight nightmares. I don't know how to make anything besides snowballs and snowflakes."

"How about this," I say, "I'll teach you what I know how to do, and you teach me what you know."

"Deal."

"You did it!" I cheer and clap when, several hours later, Jack finally completes his house stable enough not to fall over.

"Yes!" He shouts jumping up in the air. After he flies around for a bit, he comes back and flops on the grass grinning like a little boy.

Suddenly the grass around me is cold, and I look down to see it covered in frost. I instinctively cringe away from it and clutch my hands to my chest. "No no no," I whisper to myself, "Why can't I control it?"

"Well? Are you just going to back away from it?" Jack says, sitting up to look at me, "Or are you going to do something with it?" I must have looked pretty confused, because he got up and insisted, "Come on Snowflake. You've just been teaching me how to make stuff with my powers, and now you're going to freak out when you accidently freeze some grass?" The way he says it makes it sound ridiculous.

"But this is different," I whine, "You meant to use your powers, I did this accidentally. If I keep freezing things accidentally, I might hurt someone!"

"Then make it not an accident." He says, reaching down and touching his hand to the frost. The ice flows back into his hand, reforming into a delicate rose. "For you." Jack says, handing it to me with a playful bow. I'm shocked. I never thought to use my powers to fix what they had done. I look down at the intricately shaped flower in my hand and I'm struck by another thought. Jack made _this_ for _me_?

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**Thanks for reading! Leave me a review to tell me what you think, and if you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them (unless it requires giving spoilers). **


	7. Chapter 7

**Two chapters at once again! Don't get too spoiled, I won't always be able to do this. Continuing the fluff here, and maybe something else toward the end. You'll have to read and see. I still don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians. Thanks again for all the reviews, I really appreciate it.**

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**Chapter 7**

"It's lovely, Jack." I say, trying to cover up my surprise and turn the situation away from becoming awkward. I conjure up a vase of ice to put the rose in and place it on the windowsill of Jack's newly completed house. My head is spinning with speculations on the meaning of the rose.

I think Jack feels as awkward as I do, because he quickly tries to change the subject. "So I guess it's my turn to teach you something that I know, right?" I nod, grateful for something else to think about. "Watch this!" He smirks. He leaps up into the air, soaring to the top of the little waterfall. As soon as his feet touch the surface of the water, it freezes to support him. He crouches down on the ice and taps his staff to the cascade of the waterfall. A wave of frost washes over the falls, freezing it into a curtain of beautiful icicles. Jack then flips over and lands on the lake, freezing it as well. "Come on!" He shouts, beckoning me over.

I cross my arms, unimpressed, and walk slowly toward his outstretched hand. "Freezing a lake isn't all that impressive Jack. I know how to do that." I sigh.

"I know you do," he says, "I'm teaching you how to have fun again!" He grabs my hand and pulls me out onto the frozen surface. I try to protest, but he takes off running around on the ice and I struggle to keep my balance as he drags me along. "Don't flail around so much!" Jack laughs, stopping for a minute so I don't fall down. I let my muscles relax and look into Jack's deep blue eyes. Feeling his strong hand holding mine, I knew that he would never let me fall. I smile at him to tell him I'm ready, and he takes off running again. I laugh as we slide and slip across the ice. "Look." Jack says, nodding behind us. In his other hand, he's trailing his staff on the surface of the lake, leaving a spiraling trail of lacy frost in our wake.

"It's beautiful." I say, as we slide to a stop near the lake's center. Jack and I are both slightly out of breath, but we can't help but smile anyway. "That was fun. Thank you Jack."

"I'm making up for those years that I couldn't help you have fun." Jack responds, looking saddened by the memory.

"Shhh," I whisper, reaching up to stroke Jack's cheek comfortingly. "Let's not let the past spoil this moment right now."

"You're right." He sighs, his smile beginning to creep back. He wraps his arms around me and hugs me gently. I hug him back, my heart racing and an explosion of butterflies fluttering in my stomach. What is this feeling? His body pressed against mine, his arms wrapped around me and feeling the softness of his hoodie send a shiver through me, not cold, but warm. I close my eyes and lean my head on his shoulder. Could this be what love feels like? Around us, it begins to snow. Suddenly, Jack's feet slip on the ice and we both fall over. I end up landing on top of him, knocking the breath out of him before I roll to lay beside him. His expression is so surprised and silly, I can't keep a straight face, and we both start giggling uncontrollably. Eventually, we fade back to silence, watching the snowflakes spiral through the evening air. I wave my hand to trace out flurries of snowflakes and dance them around in the sky.

The trains of snow remind me of the frost trails Jack made on the lake. Inspired, I send my flurries over the tops of the willow trees surrounding the lake. The little snowflakes alight on the branches and spread a coating of ice over the bare wood. At the end of each drooping branch, the ice flows and collects into tiny frozen raindrops that sparkle in the light of the setting sun. The whole forest shines and glitters beautifully. "Wow Elsa, that's amazing!" Jack breaths. He waves his staff and a winter breeze whispers through the grove. The icy willows clink together in the wind, creating a soft music like wind chimes. I snuggle into Jack's hoodie and rest my head on his chest. I can feel the rise and fall of his breathing under my head and he wraps his arm around my shoulder. Together we watch the stars begin to peek out in the sky and listen to the twinkle of ice in the trees.

Soon, the sky is dark and alive with stars. I'm finding it harder and harder to keep my eyes open as I listen to the hypnotic clinking of the willows. The wind begins to die down and eventually stills. I realize Jack has fallen asleep next to me. I sit up and shift myself so Jack's head is resting on my lap. He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping. I stroke his disheveled white hair and listen to the steady rise and fall of his breathing. I feel so bad that I'm going to have to wake him, but I really should be getting back to my ice castle. "Jack," I whisper, gently shaking him awake. He groans and blinks his eyes open. "I should probably be heading back now." Jack lifts his head out of my lap and sits up, stretching the weariness from his muscles.

"Sure thing Snowflake." He yawns. He rubs the remnants of sleep from his eyes and picks up his staff before standing up. He helps me to my feet and wraps his arms around my waist again. The flight back to my ice palace was more of a gentle glide than the fast, energetic trip here and was free of heart-racing stunts. Soon enough, we land on the balcony of my ice palace and it's time to say goodnight. My hand lingers in Jack's, not wanting this day to end. "I'll be back tomorrow. Don't worry." Jack reassures me, sliding his hand out of my grip. "Goodnight Elsa."

"Goodnight Jack"

That night, the nightmares returned. Pitch's echoing laugh floats into my mind, "Did you really think you could get rid of me forever? I told you I would be back." Black sand swirls around me, stinging my skin. I try to block out his rasping voice and shout at him to go away, but no sound comes out of my mouth. Images of frightened people and the duke shouting "monster!" seep into my head, and I hear Anna's voice crying "All you know is how to shut people out!"

"Well, you let me in." I remember Jack saying. His kind, soothing voice quiets the shouts of fear and hatred. I focus on picturing his soft, handsome face with his deep blue eyes looking at me encouragingly. His smile blocks out the thought of Pitch's cruel laugh, and I'm not afraid anymore.

"No! I'm not a monster!" I shout, finally able to find my voice. Suddenly, I feel Pitch's cold, grimy hands wrap around my throat. I can't breathe! I kick and struggle, but his grip is too strong. "Jack!" I croak, reaching up to try and wrench myself free. I try to use my powers to freeze Pitch, but I only end up reliving the moment I hit my sister with my powers when we were young. I watch in horror as she tumbles to the snowy floor over and over again. "Elsa what have you done?" my father says. I try to plead that it was an accident, but Pitch's sharp fingernails are digging into my throat.

"You can't help but hurt others. It's what you were born doing. You make a mess wherever you go, and you can't stop." Pitch growls in my ear. I gasp for air, struggling to free myself from Pitch's grip. "You will never be accepted, not really." Pitch continues.

'Jack accepts me. My powers don't bother him.' I think in response, clawing desperately at the hands on my neck. "Jack!" I gasp again.

"You're guardian can't save you." Pitch snarls, "He's no match for my power. I would hope you're not too attached to him." I feel my feet leave the floor and red spots begin to dance in my vision. Pitch's breath is hot and clammy in my ear, "I don't like having guardians around. Either you get rid of him soon, or I will."

The pressure around my neck suddenly ceases and I drop to the floor, gasping for air. As I cough and gulp in breaths, I look up to see Jack sprawled on the ground not far from me. "Jack!" I choke, rushing over to him. His eyes are closed and I can tell that he's not breathing. His hoodie is torn and soaked in blood. "What did you do?" I shout up at Pitch. My eyes are clouded with tears.

"More to the point little queen, what did you do?" Pitch cackles from behind me. Then I notice, in the largest hole in Jack's hoodie, a pointed shard of ice is embedded deep into Jack's chest.

"No! No! It can't be!" I cry, feeling desperately at the wound. My fingers feel the cool, familiar touch of ice, smeared with the frightening warm ooze of blood. I quickly realize that all of Jack's gashes and injuries contain razor-sharp slivers of ice that could only have gotten there one way. "I did this" I moan incredulously. Tears flood my eyes again, and I try to claw the ice out, but suddenly I'm falling. Darkness closes in all around me and Pitch's sinister laugh echoes from everywhere at once. Black sand billows around me, whipping through my hair and clothes. I squeeze my eyes shut against the blinding sand, and I press my hands to my ears, trying to block out the dreadful sound as tears stream down my face.

"Wake up Elsa!"

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**Pitch is back! I want to comment SOO badly about what just happened, but I don't want to give anything away. How about you guys tell me what you think instead? I hope I can get chapter 8 posted soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi again! I have a HUGE project I'm supposed to be doing right now, but I really didn't want to do it. So guess what! I made another chapter instead! Yay for procrastination! Seriously though, I should get that done. Well, if I don't post for a while, at least you know why. Thanks again to everyone who has left me reviews! Every review makes me so happy. I love hearing from all of you. Once again, I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians. All rights go to Disney and Dreamworks respectively.**

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**Chapter 8**

I wake up in my ice palace with tears streaked down my face and my heart beating at a hundred miles an hour. Jack is kneeling next to my bed, gently shaking me. He looks concerned, but I'm just happy to see him alive. I throw my arms around him and sob into his shoulder. He seems a little startled, but he quickly recovers and tries to comfort me. "Hey, it's ok Snowflake. Shh, it's ok, I'm here." He murmurs, stroking my hair. After a while, I let go of Jack and wipe away my tears. "I was coming to bring you breakfast again and I heard you screaming my name," Jack says, "So I ran up here as fast as I could. You were thrashing around and crying. What happened?"

"Jack?" I ask, "Can guardians die?"

Jack seems a bit confused by my question and he stammers, "Well, I don't actually know, I've never tried." I laugh a little and he smiles. "Most people can't even see me. I mean, they have to believe in me or they have to be another spirit, like a guardian, in order to see me. And if people don't believe in me, they usually just pass through me like I'm a ghost."

"But I saw you." I say.

"I have to say that you kind of surprised me." Jack laughs, "I think you can always see me because we have the same power." Jack stops suddenly, and looks at me with concern. "Your nightmare," he realizes, "It was about me dying, wasn't it?" I nod. All of a sudden I feel the need to tell him, to warn him, about what I had seen. I find myself describing to Jack the scene from my nightmare. I tell him about seeing him lying still on the ground and discovering the ice shards piercing his body.

I am about to tell him about my conversation with Pitch, but I remember Pitch's warning, "Either you get rid of him, or I will." I can almost imagine Pitch standing behind Jack right now, ready to strike at any moment.

I must have stopped talking there, because next thing I know, Jack is hugging me tightly. My thoughts of Pitch melt away in Jack's embrace. "Oh Elsa," Jack sighs, "I know you would never hurt me. Come on, I left breakfast on the table."

I let Jack lead me down to the dining room, wondering the whole time, "But what if I can't stop myself? What if Pitch forces me to kill Jack? What if I do it by accident?"

"Ta da!" Jack says as we enter the dining room, "This time I was able to pay for it with some ice stuff you taught me how to make." Today, Jack has managed to bring a few warm pancakes and a couple slices of bacon. Although, by now, most of it was cold.

"Thank you Jack." I smile, taking a seat at the table to eat before the food got any colder than it already was. It's ok, cold never bothered me anyway. Jack sits on the other side of the table, attempting to politely wolf down a pancake. After swallowing an especially huge mouthful, he looks a bit embarrassed. I laugh.

"I'm sorry," He apologizes, "I'm not really used to…you know…eating around people." His sheepish expression just makes me laugh more, and Jack's face flushes bright red.

"Here," I sigh, forming an elegant set of silverware from ice, "Try this." Jack looks clueless, but he picks up the silverware anyway. I can see that he has no idea what he's doing, but he tries to copy me. His first attempts are clumsy and hilarious to watch, but eventually he gets the hang of it.

After breakfast, I took Jack on a tour of the palace. Jack was admiring my ice fountain in the front entryway, when we heard a loud thud from outside the castle. We both paused and listened for a minute in silence. I could hear muffled voices, and they seemed to be getting closer to the front door. "Wait here," Jack whispers, "I'll go see what it is." He aims his staff at the door and walks slowly toward it. He rests one hand on the doorknob, the other still gripping his staff, and presses his ear to the ice. I can tell that the voices have almost reached the door, but the thick ice muffles their words. Jack takes a step back from the door and turns the handle. He flings the door open, pointing his staff at whatever stood behind it. I shriek at the same time that a short man made of golden sand jumps in surprise and falls backward on the ice. "Sandy?" Jack stammers, lowering his staff.

"Jack?" A gruff voice bellows from behind the little gold man. A broad, tall man with a long white beard and a thick, fur-lined coat steps into view, followed by an extraordinarily large bunny. The bearded man is brandishing two twin swords while the rabbit has pulled some sort of curved, wooden weapon from his sash. The small golden man brushes himself off and stands up, shapes and symbols made of sand flashing over his head in what I guessed was annoyance. A woman covered in shimmering tropical feathers zips into view behind the others, hovering with a set of rapidly beating gossamer wings.

"What are you all doing here?" Jack asks the group.

"What are_ we_ doing here? What are _YOU_ doing here?" The bunny replies in a thick Australian accent. "Aren't you a little old to be running off and building yourself a hideout?"

"No! I didn't…" Jack starts, but he's interrupted.

"Jack, we've been looking for you everywhere!" the bird woman gasps, rushing through the air to hug Jack. For some reason, the sight of her hugging Jack makes me angry, even though Jack doesn't look particularly comfortable.

"Jack," the tall man says, "Pitch is getting stronger. We need your help to find him and stop his nightmares. Sandy says that there are many nightmares in this part of the world. Pitch may be very close."

"They don't know just how close." Pitch cackles in my mind.

"Stop it!" I hiss. Suddenly, every eye is on me.

"Who's the human?" the bunny asks, looking first at me, then to Jack.

"She's a friend." Jack says, stepping between the others and me. "She's the one who made this castle you're standing in. I've just been visiting her and helping her out, that's all."

"She can see us." the bird woman points out. I suddenly realize that I do know who they are. They're the other guardians. Jack has told me about them since I was a child. The bird woman must be the tooth fairy. That would mean that the tall, bearded man was actually Santa Clause; the bunny is _the_ Easter bunny; and the little golden man was the Sandman, creator of dreams. I'm dumbstruck. I never thought I would get to see them all in person.

The guardians are all staring at me expectantly. Oh right, I haven't said a word since they came in. Not only am I being rude, but I must look completely ridiculous. "Hello," I say shyly. I clear my throat and muster a dignified, queenly air. "My name is Elsa. I assume you are Jack's fellow guardians. Welcome to my palace. Please, make yourselves at home."

Pitch's voice is in my head again, growling, "I don't like having guardians around."

"Shut up." I think, "I will be polite to my guests, no matter who they are." I lead the guardians up to my dining room. I have to expand the table a bit and create some extra chairs, but everything still fits nicely. The guardians thank me and each take a seat at the table. I turn to leave, but Jack catches my hand.

"You don't have to leave." He says. Behind us at the table, the bunny whistles obnoxiously and Jack blushes. I slip my hand free.

"It's ok Jack," I sigh, "Go ahead and catch up with your friends." I turn away from them and walk out of the room, my arms folded tightly around myself. I wander the halls until I find my way to my room. I close the door behind me and sit down on the edge of my bed. For a long while, I sit in silence, thinking about the group of guardians downstairs. Should I tell them that Pitch is here? Pitch wouldn't be able to hurt Jack if I did, since there's four other guardians to protect him. Jack would be safe now that all of them are here, right?

"Wrong." Pitch's voice rasps, this time not inside my head. A gust of sand whips past my ankles, swirling on the floor in front of me until it rises up into the dark form of Pitch Black. I yelp and pull my feet up onto the bed with me. "No one is safe when you're around."

"Pitch…" I squeak. My thoughts fly to the guardians. Jack said they'd defeated it before. They just need to know that he's here. "Leave Jack and I alone, or I'll call the guardians." I growl, trying to sound threatening even though I'm terrified.

Pitch continues like he hasn't heard a thing I said, "It's only a matter of time until someone dies. Of course it would be an accident, it's not like you're a _monster."_ His stress on the word monster is sarcastic and demeaning. "This is you're final warning queen. Get rid of the guardians, or Jack Frost dies."

"No!" I shriek. I blast ice at Pitch, but he steps out of the way just as the door behind him swings open. I watch in surreal horror, unable to even cry out, as Jack is blown back against the wall of the hallway and slumps to the floor.

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**Cliffhanger! Leave a review to tell me what you think! Like if you liked the chapter, or if you want to rage about the cliffhanger, or if you have any questions. It's always great to hear from you.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I meant to post this chapter yesterday, but I was so close to finishing my project, and now it's done! Yay! I'm sure I'll get more, but it's a relief for now. So to appologise for making you guys wait after that awful cliffhanger, I'm posting two chapters! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 9**

My voice is hoarse from screaming, but I don't even hear myself. I rush to Jack's side and kneel beside him. He looks just like he did in my nightmare. "What have I done? What have I done?" I moan to myself, stroking Jack's messy white hair and clutching the cloth of his tattered hoodie.

Pitch laughs behind me, "I hope you're not too attached to him." Jack's still body begins to dissolve away into pools of black sand. I try to hold on to him, but the sand slips through my fingers. Everything around me begins to disintegrate into a void of darkness and black sand.

"No! Jack!" I sob, grasping for his hand desperately. Suddenly, a strong hand grips mine.

"Elsa!" I hear Jack's voice like a distant shout. My eyes snap open and I'm on my bed. Jack and the guardians are standing over me looking extremely concerned. Jack's hand is tightly holding mine. He helps me slowly sit up and I look around my room. On the other side of the bed, a blob of black sand is plastered to the floor by a coating of frost.

"What happened?" I groan.

"We heard you screaming," Santa says in his Russian accent, "So we follow Jack up here."

"It looked like you were having a seizure," the tooth fairy continued, "then we saw a cloud of black sand swirling around you. Jack shot it with his staff."

I look at the black mess on the floor, "Was that a nightmare?" Jack nods. "Is it dead?"

"Nightmares cannot be killed as long as the fear is there." Bunny says. I suddenly notice that the sleeve of Jack's hoodie has a small rip in it. I feel the tear, and my fingers come away stained with drops of red.

Jack quickly covers the cut with his free hand. "It's just a scratch. It's nothing." He says hurriedly.

"Did I do that?" I ask, dreading the answer. Jack stays silent, but the look in the eyes of all the guardians tells me the answer. I know that it's a warning. Pitch won't let me miss a second time. "Get away from me!" I cry, jerking my hands away from Jack and clutching them to my chest. "Please. I don't want to hurt you." Jack looks sad, but he steps away from me.

Bunny comes up behind Jack and places his paw on his shoulder. "Come on Jack." He sighs. He guides Jack out of my room and the other guardians follow. The door closes, and I could swear I hear Pitch's laugh echo from the shadows. Suddenly I'm so tired. I flop onto my pillows and shut my eyes.

I wake up the next morning to the sun shining through my window. The nightmare blob on the floor is gone, almost like nothing ever happened. I sit up on the bed and notice that I'm still wearing my ice dress. I must have fallen asleep in it. I send a trickle of frost over the dress anyway just to smooth it out. I take a few minutes to fix my braid and stretch before walking out into the hallway. "Good morning Snowflake." I look up and see Jack hanging upside down in front of me. He looks as cheerful as always, his boyish grin plastered on his face. He flips back right side up and glides down to the floor. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, concern hiding in his eyes.

"Alright I guess." I reply. A small bandage is wrapped around Jack's arm near his left shoulder. So it wasn't just a bad dream. "So where are the guardians?" I ask.

"Actually, they're getting ready to go." Jack sighs, "Sandy traced the nightmare you had and we think we've found Pitch's lair. He's gotten stronger since we last faced him, so we need all of us to go." Now I know why he looks so sad. He doesn't want to leave.

"Go ahead Jack. Maybe it's best if you go." I try to reassure him.

Jack takes hold of my hands, "But what if you're in danger? I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I'll be fine." I say, "Go do your job." I desperately want to tell Jack that he won't be safe if he stays here, that Pitch is here and he's threatening to kill him. Instead, I remain silent.

"Elsa," Jack stammers, "I have to tell you something, before I go…just in case I…"

"Shhh…" I hush him, placing my finger over his lips. "Don't talk like that." For a while, we just stare into each other's eyes sadly, not wanting to say the final words.

"I hope you're not too attached…" Pitch hisses in my mind. I drop Jack's hands and turn away from him, not wanting him to see the tears brimming in my eyes.

"You don't want to keep them waiting." I whisper. Jack looks hurt, but he nods. I close my eyes to keep myself from crying when I see how sad he is. I clear my throat to drive any hint of emotion out of it, "Goodbye Jack."

Jack comes to stand right beside me, so close, I can feel his breath on my neck. It gives me goose bumps, but I force myself to continue not looking at him. "Goodbye Snowflake." Jack whispers. Suddenly, I feel the soft touch of Jack's lips on my cheek. Fireworks explode in my brain and my heart leaps into my throat. My eyes burst open and I let the tears I've been holding back trickle down my face. By the time I turn around though, Jack is already gone.

Pitch is trying to hiss something at me, but I barely hear him. I reach up absentmindedly to touch the place where Jack had kissed me. It was so quick and tiny, but I could hardly breathe. No one has ever kissed me before, except my parents, and maybe Anna when we were small. But Jack was just my friend, right? It couldn't be…whatever that was. I walk back to my room in a daze and lay down on my bed with a smile on my face. I've always seen Jack as a good friend, and I admit that he is quite handsome, but he's just Jack. This feeling I have can't be…love? Could it?

Pitch must have given up trying to talk to me that day, because I was left in complete silence. Without the fear of him constantly in my head, and with Jack gone, life in my palace was pretty boring. For the next couple days, I did nothing but stare at my ceiling, sleep, and occasionally wander out to find some food. The only break in the silence was my own thoughts and Pitch sometimes trying to talk to me. The solitude should make me feel free, right? There was no one I could hurt, so why do I feel so empty?

"What do you want Pitch?" I asked one time when he wouldn't leave me alone, "The guardians are gone, so what do you want from me now?"

"Truthfully my little monster, I need you to help me." He replies.

I snort. I know, not very lady-like.

Pitch looks annoyed, "My nightmares and I spread fear to all the world. You can help me. Do what you were born to do! Make people afraid. What goes together better than cold and dark? Join me, and you won't have to be afraid to let others see who you really are!"

"No Pitch, I don't want people to fear me." I answer.

"No one can help but fear a monster." He hisses.

"Like you?" I growl. He is about to say something else, but we are interrupted by a loud knock on the door of my palace. For a moment my mind races with thoughts of bandits and thieves, but they don't usually knock, I suppose. I allow the doors to swing open as I go to see who it is. I step into the front entryway of the palace and look down the stairs at the lone figure that has wandered in. "Anna?" I say in surprise. What is she doing here?

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**Review and tell me what you think! I love every review I get, and it motivates me to know that people actually care and want me to write more. You all are so awesome!**

**And just cause I forgot to write it at the begining of the chapter: I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians. I hope everyone knows that by now, I mean it's a fanfic, duh, but I'll keep saying it anyway.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I won't write too much here, because it's a double chapter post and I'm sure you guys just want to read on and skip whatever silly, repetitive comments I have anyway. Speaking of repetitive, I do not own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians, if the last 9 times I said it didn't convince you. **

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**Chapter 10**

"Wow, Elsa. You look…different. It's a good different, and this place…" Anna stammers awkwardly as she looks up at me.

"Thank you," I smile, "I never knew what I was capable of." Anna starts apologizing rapidly for shouting at me earlier. The party seems like ages ago, a different life even. "It's ok. You don't have to apologize." I say. I am aware that Pitch is watching me with disapproval. Something about his presence unsettles me. "You should probably go." I tell Anna. She's confused and tries to protest, but the feeling that she's in danger worsens and I plead with her to return to Arendelle where she belongs. She tries to tell me that I belong in Arendelle too. "No Anna, I belong here. Alone." I insist, "Where I can be who I am without hurting anyone." I emphasize the word 'hurting' to hint at why I want her to leave, but as usual, she doesn't understand. We are interrupted then by another strange noise at the door. "What is that?" I ask.

A short, happy snowman runs inside giggling. "Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" He shouts.

"Olaf?" I ask.

Anna mirrors my thoughts, "It's just like the one we built as kids."

"You built me. Remember that?" Olaf says. Yes, I remember now. Just before I built the castle, I made Olaf as a reminder of the past.

"And you're alive?" I say.

Olaf looks down at himself confusedly and wiggles his arms, "Umm, I think so?"

"Elsa we were so close," Anna says, patting Olaf, "We can be like that again."

The image of young Anna tumbling to the floor as my misfired ice enters her brain flashes in my eyes. "No. We can't." I state, "Goodbye Anna." I turn and start to walk away, back up the stairs to my balcony. I have to distance myself from Anna. I can feel myself becoming anxious and the air around me cools. I hurry up the stairs a little faster. Perhaps some fresh air will help.

Anna follows after me. "Please don't shut me out again! Please don't slam the door," She begs, "You don't have to keep your distance anymore. Cause for the first time in forever, I finally understand. For the first time in forever, we can fix this hand in hand." If only she did understand. I keep walking, though I know Anna is too persistent to give up following me. "We can head down this mountain together!" She continues, "You don't have to live in fear. Cause for the first time in forever, I will be right here." I've reached the upper room that opens onto my balcony. I turn to face Anna, desperate for her to leave.

"Please go back home." I beg, "You're life awaits. Go enjoy the sun and open up the gates. I know you mean well, but leave me be." I walk away from her onto the balcony. The cool, fresh air makes me happy, and for a moment I feel peaceful. "Yes I'm alone, but I'm alone and free!" I sing. Anna is next to me again and the anxiety returns. Why must she get so close? Doesn't she know that I'm an accident waiting to happen? I try to plead with her again, "Just stay away and you'll be safe from me."

Her reply startles me. "Actually we're not." She says.

"What do you mean you're not?" I demand, turning back around.

"I get the feeling you don't know." She's avoiding telling me something.

"What do I not know?" I demand.

"Arendelle's in deep, deep, deep, deep…snow." Anna reveals.

"What?" I cry. I knew I couldn't control my powers, but I thought Arendelle would be safe if I left.

"You kind of set off an eternal winter everywhere." Anna says.

"Everywhere?" I gasp.

Pitch's voice is in my head again, "There's so much fear. Can you taste it? Because of you my little monster. You don't mean to hurt anyone, but you always make a mess."

"It's ok, you can just unfreeze it!" Anna says with a smile.

"No I can't!" I shout anxiously, "I don't know how!"

"Sure you can." Anna laughs, "I know you can!" Can she not see? My powers are out of control. Even now I've started a snowstorm inside this room. I can't thaw Arendelle!

"Oh, I'm such a fool, I can't be free!" I cry to myself.

"You don't have to be afraid." Anna is trying to encourage me through the snow swirling around me. She's practically being blown over by the gale, but she still tries to step toward me, a smile on her face.

"No escape from the storm inside of me!" I observe as the wind sifts through my hair. This storm is because of me. It matches the storm of emotions swirling in my heart, and I can't stop it.

I barely hear Anna say, "We can work this out together! We'll reverse this storm you've made." through the blowing gale.

"I can't control the curse!" I say, looking down at my hands. My horrible monster hands. I wish I didn't have powers. I look back at Anna, "Please Anna you'll only make it worse!" Thoughts of the terrified people down in Arendelle spin in my head with Pitch's laughter. This is all my fault and I can't even fix it. I look at my reflection in the icy wall. "There's so much fear!" I cry. The image is so distorted, I hardly even recognize myself. I'm a monster. Pitch appears behind me in the reflection and I feel his hand on my shoulder. The blizzard around me is getting worse.

"You're not safe here!" I shout at Anna, but she doesn't seem to hear me. She continues rambling about how we can fix this together. I push Pitch away from me. I can hear his words, but not in his voice. The words are in my head. Fear. Accident. Monster. I press my hands to my head, trying to push out Pitch's constant laughter. If only I could control my powers, than none of this would have happened. The poor people down in Arendelle, freezing. If only I could stop the winter. I think of Anna cheerfully saying, 'It's ok you can just unfreeze it!" I pull the blizzard around me into myself, trying to contain it. "I can't!" I shout. Snow and ice radiates out from me in all directions. The room is silent. Where's Anna? I turn to see where she went and I gasp. Anna is kneeling on the ground clutching her hand to her chest.

"Anna!" A voice shouts. Suddenly, a blond man in dark winter clothes rushes into the room. He slides to a stop next to Anna and helps her up.

"I'm fine." Anna sighs. She removes her hand and I'm relieved to see no sign of an injury.

"Who's this?" I ask, but then I dismiss my own question, "Wait, it doesn't matter. You have to go." Cracks rupture inside the walls of my castle as I struggle with my own thoughts.

The man realizes the impending danger, even though Anna, of course, does not. He pulls at Anna's sleeve and whispers, "Anna, we should go."

"No, I'm not leaving without you Elsa!" Anna shouts, pulling her arm away from him.

"Yes, you are." I command. I see Olaf standing in the doorway and wonder, could I make something alive like him to get Anna out? I shoot a burst of snow at the ground and it grows into a huge snow monster. As soon as it is finished, the snow monster picks up Anna and the man in one hand, and Olaf in the other. It stomps down the stairs and deposits them outside. I sit down on the floor and sob. I created a monster! Jack had said my ice palace was beautiful, not something a monster would make. A snow monster though? Only a monster could make that. My ice palace cracks and splinters around me. The thick ice is soon veined with sharp designs, and icicle shards even begin to protrude from the walls and ceiling. "What have I done?" I moan. What if I did hurt Anna, like the accident when we were young? I didn't see any wound, but the ice could have made it inside of her. "I'm sorry Anna." But she had gotten up, stood and talked. That means she's ok right? It wasn't like last time…

"Poor little monster." Pitch says. He's standing in the room with me with his hands clasped behind his back, a pleasantly amused expression on his face.

I glare at him, "Stop calling me that." Since the guardians left, I've noticed that Pitch has become more open about his appearances. He prefers now to speak to me in person rather than confining himself to a whisper in my head. I wish he wouldn't talk to me at all, but I definitely prefer to be able to see him when he does.

"Very well queen." Pitch drones. Black sand swirls around his feet and suddenly he's standing over me. "You must feel so alone. Unable to reach out to anyone for fear of hurting them." He kneels down and lifts my chin up so I'm looking at him. "I can feel your fear. It's so strong and wonderful!"

I jerk my face out of his hand. "I'm not afraid of you Pitch." I growl.

"I know you're not," He laughs, "That's one thing I always know, people's fears. You're afraid that you will hurt those you love with your powers, that they will die and it will be all your fault."

I push myself to my feet and step away from him. "Leave me alone Pitch."

"Or what?" he scoffs, "You'll freeze me? You've already tried that, and so has Jack. You should know by now that it won't work. Especially since you're the one who gave me life in the first place." I'm confused. "I must thank you dear queen," Pitch explains, "Your fear of your powers has been a perfect place for me to regain my former strength. You brought me back to life, and now I'm free."

"Stop it! Stop it!" I cry, "Leave me alone! I hate you!"

"You want to be alone?" Pitch cackles, "You'll always be alone! No one will ever accept you, all you know how to do is shut people out. Don't feel, right? Maybe you should take your own advice. You are so inclined to caring." Pitch fades away into the shadows, going who knows where. Perhaps he is right. Whenever I get close to someone, I always make a mess and end up hurting them. It's like when I had my gloves, if I don't feel, then my powers won't show.

I try to numb myself from my surroundings. I hold my hands to my chest and pace across the room. "Don't feel, don't feel." I repeat. My thoughts wander to the memory of Anna clutching her chest, and my nightmare of her freezing into solid ice. "Don't feel!" I insist to myself. Ever defiant, my brain decides to show me memories of Jack instead. His strong arms around my waist, his cute smile, the soft feel of his hoodie, and the sweet touch of his lips. "Don't feel!" I scream, tearing myself away from my thoughts. I hear a cracking sound around me and I look to see that the cracks in my palace are steadily worsening. Why can't I get my powers under control? In dismay, I slide myself gently to the floor and curl myself in a little ball. Don't feel. Don't feel.

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**Hi again! Please please please review this chapter! I love all the feedback, it helps me write better. I'm excited for the next chapter, but now that I have school, I probably will have to post less frequently. Sorry. :(**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi! I barely had time to write this chapter because I have been so busy this week with school, homework and sports. It's a miracle that I even had time at all! But I made sure to make time, because your reviews made me so happy, I wanted to let you know that I apreciate your wonderful comments! Once again, I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians. So Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 11**

I must have fallen asleep, because next thing I know, I'm in total darkness. "Hello?" I say. My voice echoes off of unseen walls. This is a dream, I know it is. There's a hazy quality to the air and my voice sounds strange and muted. A fuzzy pinprick of blue light wavers into view. As it gets closer, I can see that the glow is coming from Jack's staff. He looks out of breath and a bit bruised, but generally he looks fine. Behind Jack, the other guardians follow him through what looks like a small hallway. By the light given off by Jack's staff, I can guess that they are underground from the texture of the walls. The guardians look exhausted. The tooth fairy looks like she's lost a third of her feathers, and the ones left seem pale and sickly. Santa has to crouch low to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling and he looks older than before, if that's possible. He holds only one of his swords, since his other hand is occupied with holding something large and furry over his shoulder. As they get closer, I realize it must be the Easter bunny he is carrying. The guardians look warily around them as they walk as if they expect something to jump out at them at any moment.

When they are only about five feet from where I'm sitting, (at least it feels like I'm sitting) the guardians stop short. The hallway they were in has opened up into a much larger room, which I assume must be where I am. The light of Jack's staff casts flickering shadows on the walls. Some look natural, but others look sinister. "Pitch." Jack growls. At first it looks like he's looking at me, but then I turn to see Pitch Black step up next to me.

"Welcome guardians." Pitch laughs, "I hope my nightmares didn't give you any trouble." Jack tenses up, and I suddenly notice that Sandy is not with the group. What happened? "Too bad there aren't any sweet dreams anymore." Pitch says. The tooth fairy explodes forward toward Pitch, flying straight at him, but a monstrous horse made of black sand bursts up in front of her, forcing her back. "Lovely, isn't it?" Pitch cackles, stroking the sand creature. "I haven't been strong enough to make one of these since before you were a guardian, Frost."

"Yes, we defeated you last time Pitch," Jack snarls, "How did you come back?"

"I had a little help from a friend of yours…" Pitch grins slyly. I feel a sharp tug, and I am wrenched to my feet.

"Elsa!" Jack shouts. He starts to rush toward me, but Santa holds him back.

"Jack!" I try to cry out, but no sound comes out of my mouth. I try to run to him, but I can't control my legs. I look down and I'm horrified to discover that my entire body is made of shifting black sand. I try to scream, but again I am voiceless.

"All the years that you've known her Jack, I've been living and growing inside her." Pitch says, strolling around me as I try to struggle. "You must have seen it. The fear eating away inside of her, feeding me and giving me power." I suddenly realize why I can't move, because I'm not me. Pitch is just controlling his sand into my image. I must be still in my castle, somehow dreaming into this moment.

"Why…why wouldn't she tell me?" Jack stammers. He looks at me and I can see in his eyes the betrayal he feels.

"I wanted to tell you! I really did! But Pitch threatened to kill you if I said anything. Please don't be mad at me!" I sob. Jack still can't hear me.

"Do you really think she cares about you?" Pitch laughs, "I control her. Her friendship was only a disguise to hide my rise to power from you."

Jack looks like he's been slapped in the face. "I trusted you." He says to me with pain in his voice.

I can't take it anymore. Seeing Jack so broken pushes me over the edge. I can't tell if it's anger or sadness, or perhaps a mixture of both, that bubbles up inside of me. An earth-shattering scream rushes from my throat, blasting through the gag of sand blocking my voice. Pitch looks shocked, and so does Jack. Pitch snaps his fingers and I feel my sand body beginning to dissolve. Black sand horses explode from the shadows and attack the guardians. Santa slashes at them with his sword and the tooth fairy slices the sand apart with her wings as she flies. Jack blasts them with ice from his staff left and right. "Jack, help!" I manage to wheeze before I completely dissolve and my vision fades to black.

I wake up gasping on the floor of my ice palace. I lay there for a while, catching my breath until my heart rate returns to normal. I eventually stand up and smooth the wrinkles out of my ice dress. I didn't know ice could wrinkle. A noise from outside catches my attention. I listen harder, and I hear shouts and roars from the front of the castle. Curious, I creep down to the front door to investigate. I inch the door open just enough to peek outside.

The commotion outside leaves me speechless. My snow monster battles a group of guards from Arendelle, led by a man who looks somehow familiar. Now I remember, it's Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, the man who Anna wanted to marry. "The queen!" A gruff voice shouts. I see two soldiers break off from the group to run past my snow monster. I see from their clothing that they work for the duke. I quickly shut the door and rush up the stairs. Behind me I hear the door burst open and one of the soldiers shouts, "Up there! Come on!" I keep running, searching desperately for a door. I can hear the soldiers catching up behind me. I throw myself through the first door I see, dashing inside. The balcony looms ahead of me. I spin around, looking for another exit. I silently curse myself for not making any extra passages when I built the castle. The door behind me crashes open and the two soldiers run in. "We've got her!" one of them grunts. They raise their crossbows for the kill shot.

"No, Please!" I beg. A crossbow clicks and an arrow whistles toward me. I reflexively shield myself with my hands and squeeze my eyes shut. I'm expecting a sharp pain, but I don't feel anything. I open my eyes, shocked to find the arrow mere inches from my face, lodged solidly in a sheet of ice.

"Look what you can do!" Pitch cheers. He's standing not far away, leaning lazily against the wall. "You shouldn't have to fear them, they should fear you!"

"Go around!" One of the soldiers shouts to the other, "Toss it!" The soldier runs around my barrier to get a clear shot, catching an arrow that his partner tosses him.

"Stay away!" I shout, shooting a burst of ice toward the soldier. The blast knocks the soldier off his feet, but doesn't hit him directly. I don't want to hurt them, but they're giving me no choice! He rolls to his feet, and I send another blast at him, forcing him to duck. I hear his partner taking aim behind me, so I send some ice in his direction as well.

"Come on queen, you're not even trying!" Pitch laughs. I send an ice blast at him, but he easily blocks it with a swath of black sand. Pitch continues talking like nothing happened, "The only way you will ever get people to leave you alone is if you make them afraid to come near you."

"I don't want to hurt you!" I plead to the soldiers. They ignore my comment and continue to try aiming their crossbows. I keep sending ice blasts just close enough to unbalance them, but I can see that soon enough they would shoot me if I didn't shoot them first.

"You can't be serious," Pitch scoffs, "They're trying to kill you! I think even your friend Jack would agree that some violence is necessary here." Jack did say he used his power to fight…and Pitch was right, these men won't stop until I'm dead. Perhaps Pitch was right, I need people to fear me so they won't come close enough to get hurt. The two soldiers stalk around me, trying to pin me in the middle of them. I watch them warily, ready to shoot at any moment. One of the soldiers raises his crossbow. Before he can fire, I project a cluster of thick icicles at him. Two of them catch the soldier under his arms and shove him against the wall, effectively pinning him there with his feet dangling above the ground. I position several other icicles to secure him solidly. A long, thin icicle grows to a wicked point, inches from the soldier's neck. The other soldier aims his crossbow at me, but I quickly turn and blast it out of his hand. I conjure barriers of ice to block his escape and confine him to a narrow area. I thrust a pillar of ice toward him, pushing him back toward the balcony door. He tries to brace himself against the door and push my ice away, but my power is stronger than him. The ice of the door shatters behind him from the pressure and he falls down. The shattered remains of the door crash into the balcony railing, smashing it to splinters. My pillar of ice continues to advance toward the soldier as he scrambles back. He braces his back against it, digging his heels into the floor of the balcony to try and slow his progress toward the edge. I continue pressing the ice forward, pouring all my fear and anger into my power. The soldier can't get a foothold on the slippery ice, and now he's right on the edge.

I hear a commotion behind me. Prince Hans and the other guards rush into the room. They stop, evaluating the scene before them. "Queen Elsa!" someone shouts. I turn and see that it's Prince Hans. He looks concerned, and the guards behind him are filled with terror. I realize that my face is twisted into a feral snarl. "Don't be the monster they fear you are!" Prince Hans pleads. I lower my hands in shock. What am I doing? Pushing an unarmed man to his death is far past self-defense. Am I becoming the monster I always feared being? Prince Hans looks to my left, and I hear the click of a crossbow. The soldier I had left pinned to the wall had managed to hold on to his weapon and was now aiming the arrow at my chest. I see Prince Hans rush toward the soldier and wrench his arm up just as the arrow is released. I hear a neat slice and I look up to see the ice chandelier above my head plummeting down at me. I gasp and try to run out of its way, but it's falling too fast. Ice crashes to the ground around me. I'm not going to make it.

An arm catches my waist and yanks me out of the falling ice. Both my rescuer and I tumble to the floor, sliding across the ice to slam hard into the wall. I am saved from most of the impact when my rescuer turns to hit the wall first, allowing me to run into his body instead of the ice. "Ooof! You're getting big, Snowflake." A familiar voice grunts.

"Jack!"

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**Review to tell me what you think! I can't thank you all enough for the continued support. I spaz a little every time I get a review, because I know that people are reading what I write and actually want me to write more! :D I can't promise to get the next chapter out soon, because of homework and stuff, but I will do my best.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay! I love long weekends! I finished my homework, and I finished this chapter! I loved writing this chapter so much, and I'm sure you guys would love to read it, so I'll let you get to it. One more thing though, I still don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians, just a reminder. :)**

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**Chapter 12**

"You came!" I cry happily. I scramble to my feet and help Jack up.

He rubs the back of his head and winces a bit. "Of course I did," he says, "You needed me." He looks like he wants to say more, but Pitch's laughter echoes around the room, interrupting us.

"The queen and her guardian," Pitch smirks, "How quaint. You won't escape as easily this time, Frost! You're no match for me on your own." Dark sand horses explode from the ground, snorting and whinnying as they close in around us. Black sand washes over the guards that still remain, leaving dark, shifting impressions of the soldiers in their place. Only Prince Hans remains untouched, and he quickly scurries away. Jack lifts his staff, shifting his aim from one horse to another, waiting for the first one to attack. There's so many! The entire room is practically engulfed in black sand. Pitch saunters to the front of his army, riding one of the largest sand horses. The grainy shadows of the guards are now also mounted on horses, training their spears and arrows at Jack and I. If all of them fired at the same time, we wouldn't stand a chance. Pitch smirks, "Boo."

All of the nightmares explode forward at once. Jack blasts the first three easily, dodging to the side before taking out a fourth. Black arrows sail through the air towards me, but I block them with a sheet of ice. I hear a neigh, and turn to see a nightmare galloping toward me at full speed. Jack's staff flashes out of nowhere to obliterate the horse before it can touch me. The sand scatters at my feet. "Thanks!" I gasp. I see another nightmare coming toward me, and I stop it with a burst of ice. I feel Jack's hand grab mine and he pulls me out of the way just as a nightmare whistles past me, crashing into another dark horse headed in the opposite direction. Jack lets go of my hand, and I turn to see him furiously battling the black sand creatures. He's amazing! Jack is a blur of motion, his staff freezing nightmares or slicing them to dust two or three at a time. But more and more keep forming, and the numbers start to overwhelm the guardian. I remember what Pitch had said, Jack was no match for the lord of fear on his own. I try to help by sending my own ice at the creatures, but I'm not making much of a dent in the mass. A charging horse catches Jack's shoulder, shoving him to the floor. His staff spirals barely out of reach, and for a moment he is helpless.

Cascading ice flares from my palms, raising a jagged wall of icicles between Jack and the nightmares. Some of the creatures are unable to slow their charge in time, slam into the sharp ice, and explode into showers of sand. Pitch looks at me with anger in his eyes. "He isn't on his own, Pitch." I snarl.

Jack clambers to his feet and picks up his staff, backing up to where I'm standing. "Let's go." He pants, taking my hand and running toward the balcony. Black spears and arrows rain around us, but I shield us with layers of ice. The few projectiles that make it past my ice are quickly batted away by Jack's staff. Jack wraps one of his arms around my waist as we reach the balcony, and we jump into the open air. Jack flicks his staff, and the doorway to the balcony collapses, blocking the majority of the nightmares inside the castle.

Only a few of the sand horses are left, and of those, only four have shadow riders. They leap off the balcony and charge through the air after us. "Hold on!" Jack shouts over the wind. We spiral through the sky, diving and spinning to avoid the nightmares and the arrows of the riders. I see a nightmare below me and spray it with ice. Jack blasts another one away with his staff. Jack's arm jerks against my waist as he abruptly changes direction to avoid an arrow. I shoot at another nightmare I see, but I miss. I try again, this time knocking the horse's rider off.

All of a sudden, Jack cries out and stiffens. We dip for a moment, and when we level out again, Jack is breathing heavily. "Jack! Are you ok?" I cry.

"It's not bad." Jack winces. Our speed has slowed significantly and we keep drifting lower toward the trees. With a grunt, Jack pulls us strait up. We rocket skyward, straight toward the waiting nightmares. "How much do you trust me right now?" Jack shouts.

"What?" I yell. Suddenly, Jack's arm slips away from my waist and I'm falling. Wind tears through my hair and snatches the scream off my lips. A nightmare flies near me and miraculously I hit it with a flurry of frost. I can hear horses neighing above me and a blinding flash of blue light shatters the darkness of the night sky. Black sand rains around me. The treetops are looming beneath me and I start screaming again. Where's Jack?

Then, Jack's arm is around me again. I can feel him trying to pull us out of our fall, but we're going too fast. Just before we crash into the tops of the trees, Jack forms a track of ice to turn our plummet into a tumbling slide. Pine branches whip in my face as we descend into the woods. Eventually we roll to a stop on the snow-blanketed forest floor. The ice slide dissolves behind us, leaving no trace of where we've landed. Breathlessly, I sit up and shake the snow out of my hair. "We made it." I sigh. "Jack?"

Jack is lying on his side with his eyes closed. I panic for a second until I find that he's breathing. The broken shaft of a black arrow protrudes from his back, just under the shoulder. There's surprisingly little blood around the wound. Suddenly, the arrow dissolves into grains of black sand. Jack wakes up with a shout, his face contorted in pain. He starts writhing and screaming like he's being tortured. When I try to calm him down, my hand touches the black splotch where the arrow had been. Pure, cold fear rushes through me, followed by a blinding burst of hot pain. I jerk my hand away, and the sensation stops immediately. Jack curls up on the ground, gasping and shaking. His eyes squeeze shut and he cries out again. I don't know what to do. I've never encountered an injury like this before. "Hold on Jack!" I beg, "Fight it! Fight the fear!" Jack is still shuddering violently, but I see his muscles tense up and his screams reduce to pained moans. "Jack what do I do?" I sob, "How do I help you?"

Jack inhales sharply and cringes in anguish. A shudder runs through his body again, but he manages to pant, "The fear…is poisoning me. You…have to…stop…it." He cries out again and I turn my attention to his injury. I realize what I must do. I reach out and press my hand to the blackened area. Jack screams and a cold wave of fear washes over me, followed by a strong burning sensation. What if this doesn't work and Jack dies? I push away my fearful thoughts and focus on freezing the clump of black sand swirling under my palm. It's hard to focus with the burning pain stabbing up my arm, but I push through it. The temperature of my skin drops so quickly, a thin layer of ice coats my hand. Fear nips deep inside of me, but I ignore it. Light flashes around my hand, and the twisting mass of sand freezes solid. Jack sighs and relaxes. I lift my hand away from him, and he gently sits himself up. Wordlessly, we embrace, tears of joy running down my cheeks.

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry!" I sob, "This was all my fault!"

"No Elsa, don't blame yourself." Jack says, "I knew what I was getting myself into."

"I should have told you about Pitch. I wanted to, I really did, but Pitch threatened to kill you. He almost did, just now!"

"But he didn't, thanks to you." Jack smiles. Oh how I've missed that smile. I stand up and help Jack to his feet. Suddenly Jack winces.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I lead Jack to a nearby tree for him to lean against.

"My shoulder's just sore, that's all." He says. I look at him skeptically and he sighs, slipping off his hoodie so I can take a closer look at his injury. The black sand has all fallen away, but the wound is oozing red blood. I conjure some makeshift bandages of snow and frost, like the material I used to make my ice dress, but not as fancy. After I finish cleaning and covering the damage, I find myself yawning. The sky is still dark. I wonder how late it is?

Jack wraps his good arm around my shoulders. "Thank you Elsa." He says. His bare skin is cool and soft. I lean my head against his exposed chest and listen to the beating of his heart. I realize then, I've never seen Jack without his hoodie before. Slightly embarrassed, I lift my head away from his athletic body and I can feel that I'm blushing. "What is it, Snowflake?" Jack asks.

"Nothing," I respond. I try to cover up my embarrassment, "I'm just tired, that's all." I hope Jack doesn't notice that I'm making it snow. Why am I reacting like this? Jack nods and lets me go. I lie down next to a tree, leaning my head against the trunk. I think about creating a bed for myself, but I'm too tired. Jack lays down a little ways away under another tree. Not that I was looking, but I notice that he has his hoodie back on. Out of habit, I feel like I should change before I go to bed, but I dismiss the thought because Jack is so close. I feel my face flush red again. I'll just sleep in my clothes. My eyelids are heavy and my whole body screams for rest, but my mind can't settle. "Jack?" I whisper.

Jack lifts his head from the ground, "Yeah?"

"What if Pitch finds me again?" I say, "What if the nightmares come back?"

Jack scoots over to me and gives me a comforting hug. "I would never let anyone hurt you." His voice is sincere, and his gentle embrace makes me feel secure.

"Will you stay with me Jack?" I ask, snuggling into his sweater.

"Of course, Snowflake." He smiles. I lean my head against his chest and let my eyes flutter shut with a smile. Then Jack does something I would never expect him to do. He starts singing.

_Silent Night, Holy Night_

_All is calm, all is bright_

'_Round yon virgin mother and child_

_Holy infant so tender and mild_

_Sleep in Heavenly Peace_

_Sleep in Heavenly Peace_

His voice is so sweet, I'm sad when he stops. "My mother used to sing that to me…" I yawn.

"I know." Jack says, "Oh gosh that makes me seem like a stalker."

I giggle a little, "It's ok, I know you don't mean it like that. Thank you Jack." For a while, we just stare at the stars and listen to the sound of each other's breathing. Eventually, my eyes droop shut and I fall asleep in the arms of my guardian.

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**A little bit of a bunch of different things in this chapter! Some excitement, some danger, and some fluff! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please leave a review if you did (or if you didn't). I can't thank everyone enough for all the lovely reviews! Every time I read a review you guys send, it just makes my day, because I'm so happy to know that people are reading what I write and waiting for more!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yay I finally got time to write more! Who says 13 is unlucky? Ha! Mostly fluff and some explaining in this chapter, I hope you all enjoy it. I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians.**

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**Chapter 13**

When I wake up, the sun is already high in the sky, filtering through the snowy branches of the forest. How long have I been asleep? I would guess that it's already after noon. Jack is still lying beside me. He looks so cute and peaceful when he's sleeping. I slip out from under his arm carefully so that I don't wake him up. The winter air is refreshingly cold against my skin as I get up and stretch. "Morning." Jack yawns behind me. I guess I wasn't all that successful at not waking him up.

"How's your shoulder feeling?" I ask as he gets up and grabs his staff from where he left it.

"Better I think," He says, "It doesn't hurt anymore, and immortals tend to heal faster than humans." He lets me check the bandages, and the wound has almost completely healed.

"That's amazing Jack!" I gasp. I suddenly have a thought. "If immortals heal quicker, then what happened to the other guardians? Why did Pitch say you're alone?"

Jack looks sad. "The children have stopped believing. Pitch's nightmares have started taking over the world and destroying all hope. When people stop believing in us guardians, we get weaker. For a long time before I became a guardian, no one believed in me, so I'm somewhat used to it. But the others… they haven't held up as well. Pitch has tried to do this before, but he's never been this strong. Sandy couldn't cure the nightmares as fast as Pitch could make them. Somehow, he managed to capture Sandy, then…" Jack trails off, looking distant.

"Yes?" I encourage.

Jack sighs. "I was the only one strong enough to escape Pitch's lair. All the others were captured. I'm on my own."

I walk over to Jack and take his hand. "You have me." Jack smiles and gently squeezes my hand.

"Well then, I better teach you to fight!" Jack laughs. His boyish smile returns, but the childish light in his eyes is gone.

"What do you call what I was doing last night then?" I scoff.

Jack laughs again. "You were pretty good for your first time."

"Excuse me?" I was kind of faking being insulted now. I know I'm not nearly as good as Jack when it comes to fighting nightmares.

"You're not bad, we just need to work on your aim, and teach you how to shoot faster."

I hide my hand behind my back and stealthily begin forming a snowball in my palm as I say, "Oh really?" I whip the snowball from behind my back and it hits Jack right in the face.

Jack looks stunned for a moment, and I laugh. "Oh it's on!" He shouts, laughing and making his own snowball. Soon we're running around the forest pelting each other with snowballs as fast as we can conjure them. Jack shouts advice on throwing and dodging as we battle. "Keep moving when you're making your snowballs!" He says after a cold shock of snow explodes in my face. "Throw it with your whole arm, and face where you want it to go!" I spin around and throw a snowball, catching Jack right in the chest so he falls over laughing. "Try a flying target!" Jack says, taking off to soar between the tree branches.

"No fair!" I shout. I block some of Jack's snowballs with a sheet of ice and toss my own at him, but they miss.

"Talk about not fair!" Jack counters, gesturing to my ice shield. We battle until both of us are out of breath, and Jack glides down waving for a cease-fire. I dump one last giant snowball on his head before flopping down in the snow in a fit of giggles. By now, the sun is low in the sky, casting a golden light on everything. Jack and I lay next to each other on the ground, panting and laughing. "Not bad, Snowflake." Jack sighs.

"Well, you were teaching me." I reply. We fade into silence and let our breathing return to normal, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Jack wraps one arm around me and I wriggle closer to rest my head against his chest. One by one, the stars peek out from the veil of the night sky. The light from the moon glows softly on the snow and a gentle breeze glides through the forest. The only sounds are the quiet sighs of our breathing and the occasional night creature calling out to the darkness.

Jack turns his head to look at me with his deep blue eyes. A million thoughts flicker across his face, and I can tell there is so much he wants to say, but is afraid to for some reason. "Elsa…I…" he starts slowly. I try to look encouraging. I know what it feels like to be too afraid to say something, and I can see the fear lurking deep in his eyes. He sighs and tries again, "Elsa…you've been such a great friend. I don't know what I would have done if I never met you. I'm so glad that nightmare pushed me through your window all those years ago. I…umm…I have to tell you something. Ever since that day when I saw you at the ice palace for the first time…I realized that I…" Jack trails off, his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning pink as he struggles to force the words out. "I realized that you're beautiful." I blush when he says this, and turn away from him. I never thought he felt this way. Jack wilts a bit at my reaction, and we fall into silence. He looks embarrassed and upset, and I want to tell him something to cheer him up, but I'm just so shocked, I don't know what to say.

Suddenly, a nearby bush rustles. "Jack?" I whisper, tapping him. The leaves rustle again, and Jack is instantly on his feet, staff in hand. I cautiously stand up and follow close behind Jack as he creeps forward. The bush shakes again, and something flies out from between the leaves. Reflexively, a burst of frost shoots from my hand before even Jack can react. I hear a squeak, and a squirrel suddenly finds its tail trapped in a block of ice.

"I take back what I said about you needing to shoot faster." Jack laughs. The squirrel is trying to scramble away, but it's weighed down by the ice.

"Sorry little guy," I apologize. I try to thaw the ice around the poor creature's tail, but I can't. Jack sees me struggling and intervenes, tapping his staff to the ice so it breaks. As the squirrel scampers away, Jack looks at me and we both burst out laughing because the whole situation is just so ridiculous.

"It…it was a squirrel!" I laugh. Jack is laughing so hard, it looks like he's going to fall over. An abrupt gust of wind knocks some snow off of a branch and onto our heads. All of a sudden, I find myself lying on top of Jack in a pile of snow. Our faces are only inches away from each other and our legs are tangled together. Our giggles fade to silence as we both realize how close we are. For a moment we just stare into each other's eyes. I wonder at how dazzlingly blue Jack's eyes are and feel the chill of his breath on my neck. Inexplicably, I feel my lips being drawn toward his like a magnet. Jack's arm is around me and I feel us getting closer and closer. Just as I'm about to close my eyes, I stop abruptly and my cheeks blush bright red. Jack turns his head away from me, his cheeks also blazing. I quickly separate myself from Jack and get awkwardly to my feet. Jack stands as well, and we avoid each other's gaze, fumbling for something to say.

"Elsa…I'm…" Jack stammers.

"It's ok. You don't…you don't have to apologize." I interrupt. I wrap my arms around myself and we fall into silence again. "We should probably get some sleep." I say. Jack nods. I quickly form an ice bed for myself near the tree where I slept last night. I offer to make one for Jack, but he refuses, saying he's not tired. I crawl under my sheets, and Jack flies up to sit on a branch not far away. I lay on my side so that Jack can't see my face, and I think about what just happened. What was I doing? Jack's just my friend, isn't he? Sure, he's the best friend I could ever have and I can't imagine life without him, but why does my heart race when I feel his touch? I remember the cool press of his lips on my cheek and the joy of hearing his voice when he rescued me at the palace. Am I in love with Jack Frost?

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**I know we're all like, "Duh! Yes!" but I know from experience that the people who are actually in love tend to be the last ones to realize it. So even though it's obvious to us, it's new for Elsa, so yah. Tell me what you thought of this chapter by leaving me a review! I save every one I get and I love them all! Thanks to everyone for your amazing support! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! It's been a while with school and stuff, but finally there is more! I just have to say, Katherine the Fabulous, I loved your comment. Thanks so much! **

**Once again, I do not own Frozen or ROTG. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 14**

Morning sunlight dances on my eyelids. I blink to adjust my eyes to the brightness, then look around for Jack. He's no longer up in his tree, but it doesn't take me long to spot him. He's perched on top of his staff like a bird as it balances perfectly on the ground. I can't tell if he's sleeping or not because his back is toward me and his hood is up. I slide off of my bed and walk tenderly over to him. "Jack?" I whisper. He must have been sleeping, because at the sound of his name, his head jerks up, letting his hood slide back to reveal his shock of white hair. He yawns and stretches, still balancing on top of his staff as he stands up.

"Hey, Snowflake," He sighs, running one hand through his hair as he slides off of his staff. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you." I lie. "How about you? Did you get much sleep?"

Jack shakes his head, "Nah, I was keeping a look out most of the night. I guess I must have just dozed off."

"Sorry I woke you." I apologize.

"It's fine." He yawns, waving off my apology.

"No it's not fine." I insist. "Here, you get some sleep and I'll keep watch. I promise I'll wake you if I see anything. Even if it's just a squirrel." Jack chuckles at the memory and lets me drag him to my bed. "Now go to sleep." I order.

"Are you sure?" He asks. He sits on the edge of the bed carefully, touching it as little as he possibly can.

I roll my eyes. "Yes I'm sure. Now, head on the pillows." Obediently, Jack lays down. I can tell he's trying hard to keep his eyes open, but within minutes, he is fast asleep. I sit down by a tree and start swirling flurries of snowflakes through the air to occupy myself. After a few hours, I have to stand up and walk around because my leg started to fall asleep. Jack is still sleeping peacefully on my bed, curled up tightly in the sheets. He's aged since I remember. It's not immediately obvious, but tiny changes and creases in his face reveal the stress he is under. Somehow, I know it's because Pitch is getting stronger.

The forest has gone silent. Birds and squirrels that had been busily chatting moments before now leave the woods feeling eerily empty. The familiar itch of sand blows against my ankles. I gasp and turn to see Pitch emerge from the shadows, flanked by two nightmares. I feel black sand press against the back of my neck, and suddenly I'm paralyzed. I'm so terrified, I can't move or speak. Pitch places a finger over his smiling lips and glances over at the bed. I can't turn my head, but out of the corner of my eye I can see Jack still lying fast asleep as a pack of nightmares closes in around him. I'm terrified and I can't move, but one thought crystalizes like an icy blast and shatters through the fear clouding my mind: I have to warn Jack. My throat is dry and my knees are threatening to buckle beneath me, but it doesn't matter anymore. Jack is about to die right here, right now, if I don't do something. "Jack!" I scream as loud as I can.

The moment the word leaves my lips, a shock of cold radiates from my body and tears the black sand away from me. Jack is on his feet, his staff held ready. He flies over to me, shooting two nightmares on the way, and we stand back to back. I send waves of ice exploding toward any nightmare that dares to come my way, and Jack does likewise. Pretty soon, the nightmares back off, pacing cautiously around us instead of boldly attacking. "This is a sight to see!" Pitch laughs, riding up on his black horse. "The queen and the guardian, fighting together! And I must say, well done!" He claps mockingly. "Too bad none of it will matter."

"If you so much as touch her…" Jack growls, his hands tightening on his staff.

"You two are so adorable!" Pitch mocks, "I hope you're not too attached to her, Frost." Pitch's words sound familiar, and I remember my nightmares. Suddenly, I'm terrified. Frost infects the ground around me and it starts to snow.

"Elsa, don't freak out. That's what he wants." Jack whispers, touching his hand to my arm. A nightmare inches forward, sensing an opportunity to attack, but it stops when I threaten to shoot it. My hands are shaking. I try to breath. Get it together. Control it.

"Frankly, I'm surprised, Queen," Pitch continues, "I never expected you to become so vicious." My arms waver again. "You were so determined not to use your powers to hurt others, but now you're practically a professional!"

"Don't listen to him Snowflake," Jack says, "He's trying to get in your head."

"Oh I've been in her head a long time. I know her mind better than anyone; even you, Frost." Pitch taunts, "Shall I tell him what a monster you are? How you attacked your own sister? How you were going to send that soldier over the edge? Oh, the messes you've made!"

"Stop it! Stop it!" I cry, pressing my hands to my ears.

"Look out!" Jack shouts. I feel an icy chill fly over my shoulder and a nightmare explodes in my face. Then, all of the sand creatures charge forward. Ice blossoms from my palms, washing a wave of ice in an arc around me to take out several dark horses. Jack's back is pressed to mine, and I can feel the cold every time he blasts ice from his staff. Black sand scatters at my feet as nightmare after nightmare is obliterated. Pitch's laugh echoes through the forest, making it hard to tell where he is. I hate that sound so much. It bores into my head like a drill and seeps terror into my veins. My arms lock up and my legs are numb. A familiar itch crawls up my side, and I glance down. I can't help but shriek. The scattered sand from fallen nightmares swirls around my legs and up my body. Jack turns at my cry, just as the sand begins to engulf my upper body. "Elsa!" He cries. He's trying to aim his staff at the sand, but it's too close to me. I try to freeze the sand or blast it away, but the darkness smothers my powers. The sand has reached my neck now. Jack tries to rip it away from me, but the grains only pass through his fingers. A nightmare runs into Jack, knocking him over.

"Ja-" I try to scream, but sand flows to cover my mouth. The black sand sucks at my feet, pulling me down into the darkness.

"NO!" Jack bellows, scrambling to his feet to run to me. The last thing I see before I fall into total darkness is a nightmare crashing against Jack's chest, sending him flying back into a tree, where he slumps to the ground.

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**Please review to tell me what you think! Otherwise, I have no idea because I can't read minds. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Not much to say here that I didn't already say in the last chapter. I still don't own Frozen or ROTG, I still love your reviews so much, and I still appreciate when you review to tell me what you think of my writing. So with that all said, please enjoy the chapter. :)**

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**Chapter 15** – Jack's POV

The first thing I am aware of is a dull pounding in the back of my skull. As I let my eyes flutter open, the pounding increases to a solid thumping, like a hammer blow timed to the beating of my heart. I blink to blearily make out my surroundings. I'm in a forest clearing, the sun spilling through the snow covered branches and dappling the ground. I rub my head, and my hand comes away smeared red with blood. Then I remember. Elsa. I shoot to my feet, not really surprised to find my staff still gripped tightly in my hand. Even unconscious, I would never give up that staff. I spin around and survey the wreckage from last night's battle, even though I know Elsa won't be there. Scuffled footprints and hoof-prints are scattered in the snow, already starting to be covered by fresh powder. Only a little bit of black sand is still plastered to the ground by frost. The rest has all returned to its master. The realization dawns on me; now I really am alone. First the guardians, and now Elsa. Everyone I cared about, now under Pitch's control.

The beating in my head worsens, and I feel dizzy. Warm liquid trickles on the back of my neck, and I know that it's blood. I try creating bandages like Elsa did, but I just can't get it to work. Thinking of Elsa starts an empty ache in my heart. How could I have let Pitch take her? I have to find her. I promised her I wouldn't let anyone hurt her! What a lousy guardian I've been. I stagger off into the woods, too weak to fly. I lean heavily on my staff to keep myself upright and walking. I don't know where I'm going, or how much longer I can keep going, but I press on, with thoughts of Elsa keeping my eyes open. My head is throbbing and I feel like a knife is being shoved into my skull with every step. I have just reached the edge of the forest and can see a rocky landscape pitted with geysers, when my legs give out and I collapse in the snow. The cold, wet snow feels nice against my head. My eyelids slide shut, but just before I pass out, I hear a girl's voice shout, "OH MY GOSH!"

When I wake up, the pounding in my head has reduced to a low throb. I feel the back of my head and my fingers touch thick cloth bandages. I open my eyes and see someone, or something standing near me. A snowman? "Oh! You're awake!" The snowman says cheerfully. I'm confused. It's alive? "I'll go get Anna. You wait here." The snowman continues, then waddles away. I sit myself up and take a look at where I am. The ground is rocky and green with no snow on it. Every stone surface radiates with warmth, which would explain the lack of snow. Steam drifts up from some holes in the ground, leaving a thin hazy fog in the air. I'm sitting on a bedroll, like I've seen humans use for camping. In front of me, there's a small, blackened pile of wood that looks like it once was a campfire, and another empty bedroll.

"How are you feeling?" A man's voice asks. I turn my head to the sound and see a tall, blond man in black winter clothing, accompanied by a girl I recognize as Elsa's little sister Anna. The snowman from earlier is also with them.

"Umm…better I guess." I reply.

"Good." The man grunts.

I look back and forth between him and Anna. "You can see me?" I ask.

"Of course!" Anna says, "I always knew you were real, Jack Frost. Kristoff however, took some convincing." She gestures to the man next to her.

"What happened to you?" Kristoff asks concernedly.

"I…umm…hit my head pretty badly." I say, not sure how to explain my fight with the nightmares to them.

"Well we can see that." He sighs, rolling his eyes. Anna giggles.

I try to explain with as few details as possible to simplify, "I…well, I got in a really bad fight with…umm…some bad thing…people, and they took…my friend. I need to find her as soon as I can. Thanks for all your help." I try to get up, but I feel dizzy and end up sitting down again.

"Maybe you should stay with us and recover a bit." Anna says, coming over to gently lay me back down so she can change my bandage. I try to protest, but she insists. I spend several agonizing hours laying on the bedroll recovering. I pass most of the time by causing it to snow around me and playing with the flakes, or drawing patterns of frost on the ground with my finger. Eventually, Kristoff deems that I am well enough to travel, and they start to pack up. "Ooh! Come with us!" Anna pleads, helping me up so I can lean on my staff. "Maybe Kristoff's friends can help you find who you're looking for."

Sure, why not? I'm still not strong enough to fly yet, and I have no idea where to start looking for Elsa on my own anyway. Kristoff insists that I ride on his reindeer, Sven, so that I "don't waste my energy". I try to refuse; I don't want to impose, but he says that it's not far and that he and Anna don't mind walking. I think the little snowman, who I learn is named Olaf, has taken a particular liking to me. Although, with him it's hard to tell because he's so darn cheerful and loves everyone he meets. He decides to ride on Sven with me to keep me company. Sven does not protest; he keeps trying to eat Olaf's carrot nose. Kristoff didn't lie. Before long, we'd arrived at our destination. I couldn't see anything special about this place, or the 'friends' Kristoff had mentioned. All I could see were a bunch of round, moss covered rocks.

"Meet my family!" Kristoff announces, gesturing to the rocks around him.

"They're…rocks." Anna says, echoing my thought.

"He's craaaazy!" Olaf, whispers, "I'll distract him while you run." Anna looks dumbstruck and doesn't move. "Hi Sven's family!" Olaf says in a high babying voice, patting the nearest rock. "Because I love you Anna, I insist you run." Olaf whispers again. Meanwhile, Kristoff is walking around complimenting the rocks. I'm really not sure what to do. The rocks vaguely remind me of something, maybe a story North had told me. "Why aren't you running?" Olaf whispers.

"O..K… I'm just gonna…go." Anna says, turning to leave.

"No, wait!" Kristoff and I say at the same time. Now I remember where I've heard of these rocks before. The rocks begin to shake, rolling across the ground towards Kristoff. They uncurl themselves, revealing round little trolls.

"Kristoff's home!" They shout, rushing to hug him. I smile and lean on my staff. These must be the trolls that Elsa told me her parents had taken her to when she was young. Maybe they _could_ help me find her.

"They're trolls!" Anna shouts in realization. All the trolls turn and stare at her.

"He brought a girl!" One of them shouts happily, the rest echo her call and pull Anna to Kristoff. I can't help but laugh as the trolls begin singing and insisting that Anna and Kristoff should get together. I mean, I can tell from Anna and Kristoff's faces that the trolls are totally right, but the whole scene is just hilarious. Some of the littler trolls come over to me and pull at my legs to try and get me to join the fun. Eventually I give in, letting them crawl on me and swing on my staff while I create flurries of snow for them to play in.

A troll that's bigger than the others rolls up to me. He has long, grassy hair and a cape of moss. "Jack Frost, spirit of winter?" He addresses me. His voice is ancient and gravelly, but full of the wisdom of countless years. All the little trolls fall silent at the sound.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask, as the little trolls scamper away.

The old troll smiles and shakes his head, "I know why you are here, guardian. Fear grips this world, and the darkness is spreading. The power is one greater than either you or I can vanquish. You seek one who is close to you, and in that quest you may find hope for us all."

"I don't understand," I ask, "What does Elsa have to do with stopping Pitch?"

"There is fear in her, guardian." The troll explains, "A terrible, frozen fear that gives the darkness strength. So strong is the fear, it will take two to break it."

I'm about to ask another question, when suddenly I hear Kristoff shout, and I see Anna collapse in his arms. I start to rush over out of instinct, but I stop myself. The ancient troll rolls to the front of the others. "There is strange magic here." He says. "Bring her to me." Kristoff helps Anna to the old troll, and he grasps her hands gently. "Anna, your life is in danger," he says, "there is ice in your heart, put there by your sister." I'm shocked. Elsa must have done that accidentally, she would never hurt anyone on purpose, much less her own sister. The troll continues sadly, "If not removed, to solid ice will you freeze."

"You can get it out can't you?" Kristoff says hopefully.

"I cannot." The troll sighs, "I'm sorry Kristoff. If it was her head, that would be easy, but only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

"A true love's kiss perhaps?" A girl troll suggests. She's blatantly hinting that Kristoff should kiss Anna, and I see him think about it. Anna stumbles again and the white strip in her hair widens to cover most of her hair.

Kristoff looks determined, albeit a bit sad, "Anna, we need to get you back to Hans." She murmurs in agreement and Kristoff carries her to Sven. "Come on Olaf." He says, mounting Sven and sitting Anna in front of him. Olaf jumps on excitedly behind them.

"Let's go kiss Hans!" He shouts happily, but then asks, "Who is this Hans?" mirroring my own question.

"Go with them." The ancient troll says to me, "Their destiny lies along the same path as yours. Remember, only true love can thaw a frozen heart." I think about saying something sarcastic about how clear and enlightening the troll's advice had been, but I decide against it. I finally feel strong enough to fly now, so I take off and soar after the others. Don't worry Elsa, I'm coming.

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**Again, don't forget to review. I probably won't get the next chapter out until next weekend because of school, but that's obvious. Thanks again for all of your wonderful support, reading everyone's lovely reviews balances out the dreadfull-ness of math homework.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm SOOO sorry everyone for taking forever to update! My weekends have been SUPER busy for the last couple weeks. I barely had time to even write these chapters, but I really wanted to post them together. I will NOT leave you guys waiting any longer! Enjoy! **

**I do not own Frozen or ROTG.**

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**Chapter 16** –Elsa's POV

It was dark. That was the first thing I was aware of. It was so dark, I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or shut. I am scared; so deathly terrified, my body shakes with shivers. I feel cold. Usually cold doesn't bother me, but this was a deep, inner cold that chills all the way to my heart and through my blood. Since I can't see, I must rely on touch to discover my surroundings. The surface under me is hard, but my head lays on something soft and something made of thin, scratchy cloth is draped over me. Then I see the moon come out from behind black clouds, and it seems to chase away the darkness. Its light reveals a long, thin window and stone walls around me. As my eyes adjust, I can even make out a solid wooden door with a tiny barred window in it, placed opposite of the thin window. I sit up on the stiff, wooden bed I'm lying on, blinking the weariness from my mind and letting the blanket slip off of me. I suddenly remember the battle with the nightmares. Where am I? Where's Jack? I remember seeing Jack slumped against a tree before I blacked out. He must be hurt! I have to find him. I rush toward the window to see where I am, but my progress is stopped by a pair of thick, metal chains attached to my hands. The cases entrapping my hands are heavy, and my powers seem muted inside them. I stretch as far as the chains will let me towards the window and look outside.

Boats are trapped in thick ice and a snowstorm rages outside. I vaguely recognize it as the fjord, which means that I'm back in Arendelle; in the dungeons. Why would Pitch bring me here? The wind howls against the castle walls like the storm of fear swirling inside me. "What have I done?" I moan. The fjord is frozen solid, and I seem to be making quite a blizzard. Not only are my own people trapped in my terrible winter, but all the visitors from the coronation. I recognize the duke's ship as one of the boats locked in the thick ice of the fjord. I'm not all too upset about that one. I look up at the moon again; so pale, but a bright pale, like Jack's skin. The moon is large and round tonight, only broken by a few ragged clouds, or are they nightmares? I'm suddenly struck by a memory so distant, I hardly even recognize it as mine.

"Mama? Why is the moon so big tonight?" my younger self asks. It's only been a few weeks since the accident, and my mother is tucking me into bed in my own room. My curious little eyes stare out my window at the huge, round brightness with wonder.

My mother chuckles at the question and sits next to me on the bed. "Some nights the moon comes closer in the sky."

"Why?" I ask.

"I don't know," my mother laughs, "but some say that a great man lives in the moon, watching over the children of Earth. When the moon is close, like tonight, the man in the moon can hear our wishes if we wish them hard enough."

"Well I wish he would make my powers go away." I say sadly, clutching my tiny child's hands to my chest.

"Oh Elsa," my mom sighs, coming over to hug me and kiss my forehead, "You shouldn't wish away what is part of you. I'm sure you will control it eventually. You shouldn't be afraid. You're father and I are proud of your gift." She stands and picks up the candleholder from my nightstand. "Now try to get some sleep. And don't let the frostbite bite." I giggle and she gently blows the candle out, leaving my room and sliding the door shut behind her. For a long time, I stare up at the moon, thinking of what I should wish. My thoughts wander to my powers; should I wish for them to go away? Something tells me that the moon wouldn't do that for me. I feel so alone and scared. I slip out of my covers to go to the window.

"Please Man in moon," I whisper, "I just need a friend. I'm so alone." The moon doesn't say anything, but somehow I feel like he approves of my request. I remember what my mom said about wishing really hard, so I focus on wishing as hard as I can. After a while, I leave my window and crawl back into bed. I fall asleep still facing the window that, months later, Jack would fall into my life through.

I fade out of my memories and back into the harsh reality of my situation. I sit on the cold, stone floor of my cell as best I can with the chains. I curl up and try to fall asleep facing the comforting light of the window. "Let Jack be safe." I whisper to the moon.

The wooden door behind me creaks open. I quickly stand to face my visitor, and I'm surprised to see Prince Hans step cautiously through the door, holding a lantern. He places the lantern down, and I don't even let him say anything before I demand, "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't just let them kill you." Hans says sadly. I'm confused. What is he talking about? The question slips from my thoughts and past my lips. Hans seems baffled by my ignorance. "You don't remember?" He questions. I'm tempted to tell him what I remember about the battle with the nightmares, but I decide to shake my head and let him explain. "Well, I tried to stop the soldier from shooting you, but the arrow hit the chandelier above you. The chandelier fell and you tried to get out of the way…" Hans starts.

"I remember that part." I scoff, but inside I'm even more confused.

"You hit the floor pretty hard, and you blacked out." Hans continues.

'What? That's not what happened! Jack saved me…' my mind screams.

Hans is still talking, "and of course the soldiers wanted to kill you, because you almost pushed one of Weasleton's men off of the balcony. I managed to convince them, however, to bring you back to the castle and lock you up instead. I'm sorry, but it's the best I could do."

My brain is shouting that he's a liar, but he looks so sincere. A part of me starts to wonder if I dreamed about Jack rescuing me, our frantic flight to the woods, Jack's injury…the moment that our lips almost touched. No. It couldn't have been a dream. "But what if it was?" a whisper itches in the back of my mind. "No." I say aloud, trying to wipe away my doubt. I look at Hans and say as steadily as I can, "You're lying. That's not what happened."

Hans looks a bit shocked, but then his face relaxes into an expression of pity. "I know, it's hard to accept. Being a prisoner in the dungeon of your own castle must be traumatizing. That, and also you hit your head, so you probably were having hallucinations. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help, but you know what people are like when they're scared. The duke is trying to rally the support of the other dignitaries to have you killed." I look at the blizzard outside. They're right to be afraid of me. "But you're safe here for now," Hans continues, "I'm sorry you have to go through this your majesty, but there's only so much I can do to stop him."

"Stop saying sorry!" I shout, "I'm a danger to Arendelle! Surely you can get Anna to tell them to let me go…"

"Anna…has not returned." Hans sighs, crossing his arms. His words hit me like a blow to my stomach and I feel sick. If she's not back in Arendelle, where is she? I remember her clutching her chest after my outburst of ice, and my heart sinks to the floor. Oh please no. Not Anna. "If you could just stop the winter. Bring back summer…please." Hans pleads.

I'm on the verge of tears. What if I did hit Anna? What if she's dying and I can't do anything about it? I feel so helpless. Arendelle is locked in winter, my sister is missing, and it's all my fault. I can't even fix it. Perhaps the duke is right, I am a monster, and I'll never control my powers. "Don't you see?" I cry to Hans, "I can't." Hans says nothing, but I can see that he's unsure what to do as he thinks on what I've just said. "You have to tell them to let me go." I plead.

Hans sighs, "I will do what I can." He gives me an apologetic look before turning to leave. The door slams shut behind him with a clank of finality. I'm alone in the darkness again, with only my own thoughts keeping me company and tormenting me. The cold air in the basement gradually becomes freezing and blotches of ice blossom on the metal encasing my hands. Great. Even now, my powers are still out of anyone's control, much less mine. Over the next several hours, I transition from pacing the reach of my chains, to sitting on my bed, to sitting on the floor, to the bed again, to finally lying down. I don't remember feeling tired, but soon my eyes slide shut and I fall asleep.

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**Please reveiw to tell me what you think. I enjoy reading every comment I get! Special shout outs to Katherine the Fabulous and MidnightStorm42 for your amazing reviews! In answer to your questions MidnightStorm42, yes for both. I don't want to say more because I might spoil things for others and they might get mad. You'll just have to wait and see. I can tell you though, that it's kind of funny when she realizes the connection between the two later. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is from the point of view of Hans! I'm excited because it's the first time in the story that I've done a POV other than Elsa or Jack. I'll let you get to reading it to see how I do. :)**

**I still don't own ROTG or Frozen, *pout*.**

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**Chapter 17** – Han's POV

As soon as the cell door latches shut behind me, I let the mask of pity slide off of my face and slip into my more comfortable and natural smirk. This was the real me, not that silly do-gooder Hans I had to pretend to be. All the role play would soon pay off though. I will be king of Arendelle, and no one can stop me. I follow a dimly lit stairway and crisscross a few halls before entering a long room dominated by a huge meeting table. A few hours ago, I'd met with dignitaries from various countries in this room, but now it was completely empty except for one lone shadow standing beside a horse of black sand. The shadow is facing away from me, and he doesn't move at all when I come in, but I know there is no need to announce my presence. "How was your meeting with the queen?" the shadow says in a cold voice like a November wind seeping through the cracks in a wall.

"Rather unsuccessful I'm afraid." I reply, unfazed by Pitch Black's severity.

"That's unfortunate," He sighs, stroking his nightmare steed beside him, "It will make things more difficult, but not impossible. With the interference of the guardian, it will be harder to keep her under my control until I can reach my full strength."

"If she's going to be a problem, couldn't you just kill her?" I ask.

Pitch looks annoyed at my question, "Sadly, I still need the pathetic little queen alive, for now. Her fear gives me my strength. I'm so close now. Soon I will be unbeatable."

"Then I will rule Arendelle as my own kingdom!" I sneer.

"Of course, Hans." Pitch says, coming up behind me to rest his pale grayish hand on my shoulder. His sickly sweet voice just seems remarkably soothingly. "With my power at your side, no one will dare ignore you or oppose you. You will have the kingdom that you've always deserved. Even your twelve older brothers will cower in fear of you!" I can't help but smile as I imagine all that is to come.

"What of the guardian?" I ask.

Pitch waves dismissively, "He is too weak to be a threat anymore. If he is foolish enough to come for the queen, I will deal with him."

I stroll over to one of the tall, frosted windows and watch the blizzard raging outside. "Look at all this power!" I muse, "It's a shame that the queen won't ally with us."

"Yes, it is a shame." Pitch agrees from behind me, "I wish I could have destroyed the guardian before he could interfere, but I was not yet strong enough to reveal myself. It doesn't really matter though, her fear is still too strong for her to be a threat."

I chuckle as I remember the queen's face when I told her that her sister hadn't returned. The best acts always contain a bit of truth to make them believable. It's also helpful that the truth only helped to fuel her fear. "The queen totally fell for my nice guy act. She looked like she almost believed me when I said that I brought her back from the ice palace, but her feelings for the guardian were too strong."

Pitch sighs with frustration and begins pacing the room with his hands clasped behind his back. "I have to keep her trapped in her fear. If her feelings for the guardian are as strong as you say, she may yet be a problem."

"But she doesn't realize how powerful she really is." I reassure Pitch, "I must say, you've done a fantastic job over the years of making her scared of herself. I only had to mention that her sister was missing, and I could tell that she was terrified. Even the guardian cannot keep her from fearing her powers."

Pitch smiles, but says nothing. He turns away from me, and in a woosh of sand, he returns to his place beside his nightmare. The dim light in the room blurs his black form into a sinister, featureless shadow. "Perhaps it is time that I paid another visit to the queen." Pitch sighs, "Go, my useful prince. The dignitaries are upstairs, awaiting the arrival of _good_ Prince Hans." I can't see his expression, but the sarcasm placed on the word 'good' is obvious. "I will go remind our little queen why people fear the dark." The menacing laugh of the shadow echoes off every wall as I slip back into the guise of gentleman Hans. It's difficult to keep my smirk hidden behind a pleasant smile as I hear sand swirling behind me. Darkness is coming.

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**Sooooo, what do you think? I actually really enjoyed writing as Hans because I got to let my tiny bit of evil shine through *insert evil laugh*. Did I play the schemeing butthole well? Maybe I should write as the villian more often, it's fun! Thoughts? By the way, I may not get the next chapter out for a while, considering how long these took to finish. But don't worry! I will not abandon you guys forever! I am determined to finish this fic before I move on to anything else!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I HAVE A CHAPTER! I can't believe it! I actually finished a chapter NOT on the weekend! This chapter was cool because it's all hapening inside Elsa's head, so I had fun. I hope you have fun reading it! Thanks again for the amazing comment Katherine the Fabulous! Here's the update you requested!**

**I don't own Frozen or ROTG**

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**Chapter 18** – Elsa's POV

I'm dreaming. I already know that. So why am I so afraid? Pitch's laugh echoes in the dark, and I can hear his black sand swirling all around me, but I can't see anything. Suddenly, I can feel his clammy breath down the back of my neck, and I jerk away. My chains clink loudly and yank painfully on my arms. I try to make my voice sound brave, "Why hide Pitch? Are you scared that I'm going to hurt you?"

"Me? Afraid?" Pitch chuckles, "You should see yourself." His pale face seeps out of the shadows, a cruel smile on his lips. "I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but you and that guardian we're getting a bit annoying. You should be thanking me. At last, you can finally be alone, where you can't hurt anyone. Well, unless you already have." Immediately, I know he's referring to Anna. My heart jumps into my throat, but I force myself to stay strong.

"Get out of my head Pitch." I growl.

"Ooh, feisty!" Pitch scoffs, "You can never get rid of me. Where there is fear, so am I; and you my little monster, have so much glorious fear. But that's nothing compared to the fear you spread. Oh what power I wield because of you! All of Arendelle is practically reeking with terror!"

All of a sudden, a window looms before me, showing a view of the streets of Arendelle. Every house is boarded up against the storm and the cobblestone streets are empty and silent. Images of families cowering by fires and children clutched close to their mothers flash across the glass surface. Every face is full of fear. The window I'm looking through frosts over, and I find myself in a dimly lit room. The duke and dignitaries from other lands shiver together and plot my execution. "If we don't do something soon, we'll all freeze to death!" The duke shouts, "Queen Elsa is a monster and we are all in danger!"

"No! Please! I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" I cry, but none of the men hear me.

"Yes, it was only a silly little accident," Pitch sneers, "the story of your life, queen. One accident after another. Why not embrace what you were born to be? Use your power to strike fear into the souls of your enemies! You can be the great Ice Queen, ruler of all! Free to shape the world as you wish, free to be yourself."

"No Pitch. I don't want to be feared! I don't want to hurt anyone!" I shout.

"You may not want to, but you can't help it." Pitch says, "No matter how much you don't want to hurt others, you always end up doing it anyway. Perhaps if you make them fear you, less people will get close enough to die because of you."

"Go away Pitch!" I insist, trying to block out his cruel words, "I won't help you!"

"Oh, but you already have," Pitch replies, "If not for you, I would never have been able to regain my strength and defeat the guardians!" Out of the darkness, I suddenly can see cages suspended in webs of black sand. Inside each black cage is one of the guardians. They look awful, and it makes me sick to think that it is my fault they are there. Santa is slumped against the bars of his cage, his swords gone and his long, white beard hanging limply between his legs. The tooth fairy kneels on the floor of her prison, surrounded by her own scattered feathers. The few feathers that still cling to her body are pale and frayed. She looks up at me briefly with sad eyes, before her gaze drops down again. The Easter bunny is barely recognizable. Hardly a tenth of his original size, he looks like a little ball of matted fluff curled up on the ground. Worst of all, though, is Sandy. The sandman is immobilized by chains of black sand, and the areas of his golden body where the chains touched are streaked with black. His eyes are shut as if he's sleeping peacefully, but the glow has faded from his skin and his breathing seems slow and labored. Pitch sighs and shakes his head disappointedly, "Look what a mess you've made, little monster."

"I'm so sorry." I whisper, tears gathering in my eyes. My vision blurs, and the cages disappear back into the shadows.

"Poor queen. All alone and afraid." Pitch cackles, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Why would I bother stopping you? You seem to be doing an excellent job at messing things up on your own."

"Stop it! Stop it!" I cry. I try to focus on thinking of Jack to block out Pitch's whispers. Jack's kind, blue eyes staring at me encouragingly; the touch of his strong hands holding mine; seeing that silly little crooked smile that lights up his whole face. I remember the smooth softness of his skin; the moment where our lips had almost touched; and the sincerity in his face when he had promised to never let anyone hurt me. "Jack will save me." I whisper to myself.

"Oh really?" Pitch laughs, slicing through my thoughts, "Your guardian is going to come for you? Remember what happened last time Jack Frost came to rescue you?" Memories of the frantic flight from my ice palace flood my mind. Jack stiffens when the arrow strikes him, and we tumble to the forest floor. I remember Jack writhing and screaming as the black sand digs into his skin. I remember sitting beside him helplessly, begging for him to hold on, to fight the fear. Fight the fear. That's it! I have to fight my fear.

"Get out of my head Pitch." I growl, in a voice so strong, I hardly recognize it as my own.

Pitch pauses only slightly before ignoring my demand and continuing to talk. "Do you want to know what will happen this time when your guardian comes?" He snaps his fingers, and a section of shadows illuminates. Jack lies motionless on the ground, his hoodie stained red with blood.

"It's not real." I insist out loud, both to assure myself, and to challenge Pitch. This is my dream. I'm going to control it. I picture Jack as hard as I can, and think of how he fought off the nightmares at my ice palace. In that moment, Jack is standing beside me. A blast of ice cascades from his staff and throws Pitch back. Pitch looks stunned, and a bit frightened. Jack touches his staff to my chains, and they fall to the ground with a clank. I smile and throw my arms around Jack. He returns my embrace, and we both laugh with joy and relief. I pull back and look into his deep, blue eyes. He has that boyish smile on his face that makes my heart flutter and infects me with a smile as well.

"Nice trick, Queen," Pitch hisses, "But don't think you've defeated me yet." I look over at Pitch, and he's back on his feet, surrounded by nightmares.

"Jack…" I whisper, clinging tighter to his hoodie.

"Your guardian won't help you now!" Pitch laughs, mounting his black steed. I look back at Jack, and I almost scream. His snowy hair has turned a deep, inky black and his skin is splotched with grey like Pitch's. Dark, bruise-like circles rim his now yellow eyes and his familiar smile has changed to a sinister smirk.

"Jack?" I whimper hopefully, trying to back away from him, but he only yanks me closer. "What did you do to him?" I scream at Pitch as I struggle to free myself from dark Jack's grip.

"What's the matter Snowflake?" dark Jack sneers in Pitch's voice, "I thought you liked me." Suddenly, dark Jack swoops in and kisses me. His hand presses against the back of my neck, forcing my lips to press against his. I remember the first time I had felt Jack's lips on my cheek, it had felt tender and soft, sending my heart racing and my stomach fluttering. But this was different. This kiss felt harsh and forced, like Jack's mouth was being shoved at mine and our lips were pressed together by someone pushing against us. I can feel Jack's hand wandering up my side and fingering the top of my dress.

"Mmf! Jack!" I protest against his lips. I struggle and kick to break myself free, finally blasting dark Jack away with a wave of frost. The darkened form of Jack tumbles to the floor. He looks back up at me with sad eyes that break my heart. He looks so much like Jack, it hurts. "Jack, snap out of it," I beg, "Pitch is controlling you." I feel like crying, and I want to run to Jack and help him, but I force myself to remember that he's not the Jack I know. I look around for Pitch, but he is nowhere to be seen. Only his malevolent laughter echoes in the darkness. "Jack please…" I cry. Jack's sad eyes change to anger, and he rises to his feet, picking up his staff and aiming it straight at me. I lift my hands and prepare to use my powers to defend myself, but how can I?

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**Just a little hint past pg there, sorry. And WHOA! Evil Jack! What do you guys think? Tell me how I did on this chapter by leaving a comment! I hope you guys will hear from me again soon, but no promises, because if I promise anything, inevitably people get mad.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Oh my gosh I 3 weekends so much! Inspiration overload! I am SO excited! Extra time is a wonderful thing. So here you go, a 2 chapter update only 4 days after my last update! phew! I was so happy to recieve such thoughtful and lovely reviews, I just HAD to write. Thanks a ton MidnightStorm42, and as always, Katherine the Fabulous. Your continuous support means so much to me. In answer to your questions MidnightStorm42, the first question I think you will find answered in this chapter, the second one I can tell you is a no, and the third one I'm not exactly sure myself. Read on and tell me what you think!**

**I don't own Frozen or ROTG**

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**Chapter 19**

"I should have known!" Jack growls, advancing toward me, "You never cared! All you can do is shut people out, so why did I think I could be different?"

"No! Jack! That's not true!" I cry. Ice flies from Jack's staff, and I block it with ice of my own. A tear traces a wet track down my cheek as I remember the real Jack saying, 'But you let me in.' I can imagine his adorable smile lighting up his face as he said it, so different from the Jack in front of me. "Jack please! I don't want to hurt you!" Jack's black ice spirals toward my face, but I smash it away.

"Really?" Pitch's voice comes through dark Jack's mouth, "I thought that's what you're good at, monster!" Jack's staff explodes with ice, and I'm barely able to deflect it all.

"Stay away!" I shout, throwing my own ice blast at Jack to unbalance him. He leaps nimbly out of the way and shoots more ice. I block the attack, and in a sick and twisted way, I'm reminded of our snowball fights. I throw another wave of ice toward dark Jack, and I'm surprised when it hits him, knocking him to the ground. My hands grow cold again as I prepare another blast.

Dark Jack laughs, but it's Pitch's eerie laugh that comes out. The shadows around me bulge, and five faceless men made of black sand surround me. My ice disintegrates two of the men, but then the other three have reached me. Two of them grab my arms, and the other pulls my legs from beneath me. I struggle in the air, thrashing against their strong grip. I see dark Jack pick himself to his feet and come toward me again. The shadow men holding my arms are trying to force something over my hands. One of them manages to pull it over my left hand, and the ice building in my palm instantly melts away. I thrash as hard as I can, but it's no use. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pitch's smirk on Jack's face. "Enough!" I bellow. I lock my knees against the head of the shadow man holding my legs. He looks surprised, but I don't linger on that. I quickly yank my legs to the side, throwing the shadow man to the floor. He hits it hard and disintegrates into black grains of sand. As soon as my feet touch the ground, the build up of power inside me pops like a bubble, blasting the other two men to dust.

Black ice whistles past my ear. "We're not done yet queen!" Jack yells. I rip whatever it is off of my left hand, and send another ice blast at dark Jack. I miss, and Jack's staff glows as more black ice shoots from it. I duck out of its way and aim another wave of ice at Jack.

"Jack! Stop! You don't have to do this!" I try again to reason with him. I don't know how much longer I can do this. I won't…no I _can't_ hurt Jack, but he's under Pitch's control. I know that Jack is a better fighter than me, and in his current state, he would kill me. "Jack…we're friends." I try, "I know you would never try to hurt me."

"Don't try to make me pity you." Jack snarls, "I know how you really feel. You've only pretended to care about me so that Pitch can kill me and the other guardians!" His ice cascades toward me again, but I cancel it out with mine.

"No Jack! I do care about you!" I cry.

"LIAR!" Jack bellows, blasting more ice toward me. I frantically try to block his strikes, but he's much faster than me. An icicle glances off my thigh, causing me to yelp in pain. I stumble and fall backward to the floor.

"So weak…" Pitch laughs. His voice echoes, making it impossible to discern where he is. "Such a pathetic little queen. Alone again, against the dark. You think you can fight it, but you're wrong." Dark Jack advances toward me, and I try to shuffle backward to get away. I wince at the pain in my leg and drops of blood dot the ground.

"Jack…" I plead, looking up into his once deep blue eyes. All I see is anger and hatred. "Jack…please…" My voice has dropped to a mere whisper as Jack stands over me. He raises his staff, and I can see the glow as his ice begins to build. This is a dream. I lean back and close my eyes just as ice bursts from Jack's staff. My hands move of their own accord, canceling dark Jack's ice with a stream of my own. I hear a shout as my ice overpowers Jack's. I peek my eyes open, and Jack is gone. I breathe a sigh of relief and lay back against the ground to let my heart rate return to normal. A rush of guilt seeps through me. I just…no, that wasn't really Jack. It was Pitch. I cover my eyes in the crook of my elbow to block out tears that threaten to spill. It wasn't Jack, it was Pitch. It wasn't Jack, it was Pitch. I just killed Jack. I'm capable of allowing myself to do it. No! How could I? It wasn't Jack, it was Pitch. Or was it? It's my fault. I brought Jack into this. I imagined him here, then I killed him. No, it wasn't Jack…

Suddenly, a single figure stumbles out of the dark. "Anna!" I cry, scrambling to my feet and running forward. Somehow, my movement is halted as chains once again jerk painfully on my arms.

"Elsa, you froze my heart." Anna whispers. The look of betrayal in her eyes breaks my heart, and I start sobbing. I pull against my restraints in vain as Anna collapses to the floor. I scream in anguish and the temperature around me plummets. I can only watch as my sister's hair turns completely white and her skin freezes over with frost. I curl up on the floor and hide my face, trying to tell myself that it's only a dream and it's not real, but the tears keep coming.

I can see Pitch standing over me, but I don't have the strength to fight anymore. He leans down so close to my face, that I can feel his breath in my ear as he whispers two words. "I win."

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**I'm sorry if that last bit with Anna came across a little sudden and random, but I wanted to show that Elsa's fears aren't completely centered on Jack. Her fear is of her powers and how they could cause her to hurt others. Jack is someone she cares about, so of course he would show up. But her fear of hurting her sister is what really breaks her in the end. Also, I didn't want to have yet another dream ending with Jack. **

**As always, I would love to hear your comments, questions, or general opinions about this chapter. The more reviews I get, the more excited I feel about writing because I KNOW someone is reading it!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Jack is back people! Doing his best to save Elsa and help her sister too! Enjoy.**

**I don't own Frozen or ROTG**

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**Chapter 20 **– Jack's POV

Arendelle looms ahead of us as I fly beside Kristoff and Sven. I'm surprised at how fast they're running, but I shouldn't be. Anna has steadily worsened since we left the trolls. Her hair is almost completely white now, and she won't stop shivering. "Hang in there Anna." I hear Kristoff whisper. He cradles Anna closer to him and takes off his own winter hat to cover her head. "Come on buddy, faster!" he shouts to Sven. I could swear the reindeer nodded before he snorted and increased his already rapid pace. The sudden burst of speed sends Olaf sliding off the back. Ever optimistic, the snowman just giggles and begins sliding on his stomach down the hill with us. Kristoff glances back, but doesn't slow down. I can see his indecision as his concern for Anna overrules all else, except his conscience.

"I've got him!" I yell, dropping back to keep pace with Olaf. Kristoff looks relieved, and turns his attention back to Anna. "Want a ride Olaf?" I ask the snowman beneath me.

"Sure!" he giggles, reaching his stick arms up like a child wanting to be lifted. I scoop up the little snowman in my arms and let him climb onto my back. "This is fun!" He laughs, clinging to my hoodie. He's surprisingly heavy for his size, but the added weight doesn't slow me down too much. I'm practically shaking with energy. If not for the bandage still wrapped around my head, it would seem like I'd never been injured at all. I let the wind push me even faster to catch up with Kristoff as we enter the streets of Arendelle. The clack of Sven's hooves is the only sound that echoes through the empty cobblestone streets. Everyone must be inside, sheltering from the storm. Soon, we're approaching the castle gates and I hear the guards on the wall shout, "It's princess Anna!"

Sven finally slows to a stop just a few feet from the gate. Kristoff quickly dismounts and lifts Anna from the saddle. She looks so thin and frail in his arms. I glide to a stop and land to let Olaf slide to the ground before following the others. "Are…are you…going to be ok?" Anna shivers, looking up at Kristoff.

Kristoff looks down lovingly at Anna, and I can't help but smile. "Don't worry about me." He sighs. I'm reminded of when I had helped Elsa to her room the first night I had arrived at her ice palace. A rush of sadness follows the memory, and I almost run into Kristoff's back when he stops.

"Anna!" A female servant gasps as she hurries out of the gate with several other servants. Kristoff gently places Anna on her feet and lets the maids fuss over her and bustle her inside.

"Get her warm," Kristoff orders, "and find Prince Hans immediately!"

"We will. Thank you." a butler says to Kristoff before turning to help usher Anna inside. Kristoff looks like he wants to follow, but the guards watch him warily.

"I'll go with her," I offer, "Not many people can see me, and I have to get inside anyway."

Kristoff looks at me with wordless thanks, and I fly off after the group of servants. "Make sure she's safe!" Kristoff shouts as the gates close. I can't tell if he's intending that for me or the servants, but I turn and give him a thumbs up anyway. The gates slam shut, so I return to following Anna and her caretakers. We reach a large wooden door, and the butler stops to search through his keys for a moment. Suddenly, I glimpse a nightmare patrolling the wall of the castle. I glance around, and notice several others. Luckily, they're all facing away from me, looking outside of the castle for now. I hear the butler's key click in the lock and the wooden door creaks open. I quickly slip inside just as one of the nightmares turns its head to the sound.

I breathe a mini sigh of relief, and follow after the servants again. My bare feet pad against the carpeted halls, any sound I make luckily drowned out by the fussing of the maids. If there are nightmares here, Pitch is here too. The troll was right. This is where I would find Elsa. I hold my staff ready, wary of any shadow. The group of servants hurry Anna into a door on the right. "He's in here." The butler announces. I follow them into the room, noticing the flowery pattern on the door as I walk by. Unlike many of the other doors we had passed, this door's pattern was blue.

"Anna!" A man's voice gasps. We've entered what seems to be a study. A fireplace roars against one wall, faced by a single red couch. A group of men stand near the fire, interrupted from their conversation. A young man with ginger hair rushes over to Anna to help support her. "You're so cold!" he exclaims worriedly.

"Hans! You have to kiss me! Now!" Anna demands, grabbing the man's coller.

"Whoah, slow down. What happened?" Hans says, looking a little shocked.

"We'll give you two some space." One of the maids giggles shyly, waving everyone out of the room. I back out of the room as well, feeling a bit uncomfortable spying on the two. Before the door shuts, I see Anna clutch her chest, and Prince Hans carries her to the couch. The servants and the men from the room all go their separate ways, but I stay near the door. I don't know why I feel like staying, Anna is safe with Prince Hans now, so I should start searching for Elsa.

A shadow flickers in the corner of my vision. Instantly, my staff is in front of me. A nightmare materializes from the darkness, followed by two more. They stalk toward me, their sand manes fluttering in a non-existent wind. Ice spirals from my staff, obliterating the first two within seconds of each other. My third shot misses the last nightmare by an inch as it turns and rushes back down the hallway it came from. I hesitate for a second before taking off after it. This could be a trap, taking me right to Pitch, but it could also lead me to Elsa. I have to fly fast to keep the nightmare in sight. It darts around hairpin turns that send me skidding and pushing off of walls, bounding in every conceivable direction in an effort to lose me. Years of practice keep me agile, and the nightmare never leaves my sight. I'm having so much fun with this, racing through the castle at dizzying speed, bouncing off of things and dodging obstacles.

A window ahead of me suddenly swings open, and I'm forced to drop down and slide on my back to avoid hitting the glass. Something heavy lands on top of me as I skid past the window. "Oh, Hello!" Olaf chuckles from his seat on my stomach.

"Olaf?" I ask confusedly, sliding to a stop on the ground.

"Thanks for catching me!" Olaf smiles, hopping off of me, "Where's Anna?" I'm still kind of shocked and wondering what the snowman is doing climbing through a window, so I reply a little absentmindedly.

"She's…with Hans. Upstairs…I think." I stammer as I look around for the nightmare I'd been chasing. It's nowhere to be seen, probably long gone by now.

"Ok!" the little snowman says cheerily, beginning to waddle away.

"They're in the room with the blue flowers on the door." I add, brushing myself off and standing up.

"Ok!" Olaf giggles again, waving to me with one of his tiny stick arms before waddling around the corner. I shake my head and smile. That snowman is just so darn happy. I think about shouting for him not to disturb Anna and Hans, but he probably would do it anyway even if I told him.

"Hello Frost, Your persistence never ceases to amaze me." A voice drones behind me. I recognize immediately who it is.

I spin around, staff raised, and growl, "Pitch." The entire hallway in front of me is engulfed in inky darkness. One by one, lamps sputter and die as Pitch approaches on his nightmare steed.

"I have to say," Pitch continues, "You have an annoying habit of interfering in my plans, but it doesn't matter anymore. Your sentiment for the queen will be the end of you. You _will_ die here Frost."

"You think so?" I challenge, taking a slow step forward with my staff aimed at Pitch's chest.

Pitch laughs, and more nightmares seep from the shadows. "No. I know so."

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**The epic showdown you've all been waiting for!...next chapter. But I will say, the next chapter is NOT the last! Lots of Jack epicness, but definately not the end. I hope to update soon, I seem to be on a roll, but all streaks have to end at some point. Action scenes always take me a while because I want to make them more lively than "And then they fought". Anyway, tell me what you thought of these chapters by leaving a review! If you have questions, I will try to answer them on the next update.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! More chapters for you! Yay! As always, I enjoyed reading all of your reviews, and of course, writing the chapters. Enjoy the Jack epicness!**

**I do not own Frozen or ROTG**

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**Chapter 21**

My first ice blast knocks Pitch off of his horse. I then manage to obliterate the first ten nightmares that rush at me, but soon they start to come at me from behind as well. I spin in a circle and throw a wave of ice around me to push the nightmares back. I steal a few precious breaths before the nightmares close in on me again. Ice and sand twist together in the air, making it hard to see. I can't see Pitch behind the waves of nightmares. I know he's staying back, waiting for the perfect moment to strike me while I'm distracted. I won't give him the chance. I take off running, dodging and twisting between nightmares as I reduce them to dust with my staff. The small hallway is packed with nightmares so thickly, I can hardly see any of the walls through the thick, black sand. I barely have any room to move, much less fly.

Without warning, I'm shoved to the ground as a nightmare crashes hard into me. My staff is there to block it, but it hits me with such force that even as the black horse explodes into grains of sand, the staff is wrenched from my grip. My fingers clamber to connect with the wood as I fall, but it spirals just out of reach. I hit the floor and roll to avoid another black horse. It smashes into where I had just been, so close that the shower of sand scatters in my hair. My searching hand finally finds my staff, just in time to obliterate a third nightmare. Ice fans out around me, sending the sand creatures back and giving me time to stand up. I feel something cold pressed against my back. A quick touch confirms that the surface is glass. It must be the window Olaf had come through.

The nightmares in front of me part, and Pitch comes forward. "Why bother resisting any longer?" He hisses, "We both know you don't have the strength to defeat me."

I keep my eyes fixed on Pitch as my hand feels behind my back for the window latch. "It's no fun if it's not a challenge." I smirk. The window swings open behind me, letting a rush of cold air blow past me. I give Pitch a mocking little wave, then I slip backward out the window. I let myself fall for a minute before the wind catches me and I take flight. It's such a relief to be out in the open again without sand creatures crowding around me. I hover and look back to the window while I catch my breath. I feel myself beginning to tire. I can't keep this up. Pitch was right, I'm not nearly strong enough to defeat him on my own. Nightmares scramble at the frame, squeezing past each other to follow me. All of them have to pass through the tiny window in order to get to me. This was my chance.

I muster what strength I have and channel it into a tidal wave of frost that cascades from my staff. Ice crackles like lightning over the hordes of black sand, disintegrating the nightmares in an explosive shock wave. The dusty cloud slowly begins to settle, and for the moment, everything is quiet. The outburst has left me exhausted. It's too risky to go back through that window when I'm so weak; Pitch is more than likely still there waiting, but I have to land before I fall. I manage to glide around the castle to another window, one that I'm so familiar with, I could have flown to it in my sleep. I quietly slip through the window to Elsa's old room and latch it shut behind me. I sigh and slide down to sit against the wall. I close my eyes and listen to my own breathing, waiting for my pounding heart to return to its normal speed. The last time I'd gotten this much out of breath was when Elsa and I had our snowball fight in the woods. It makes me sad to think of where she is now, alone and scared under Pitch's control. Elsa is all that matters now. Even if I can't defeat Pitch, save the world, or free all the guardians, I have to at least do something. I promised Elsa I wouldn't let anyone hurt her, and I'm going to keep that promise.

I use my staff to push myself to my feet, but I avoid leaning on it too much. Sinister laughter echoes around the room, causing me to stiffen. "Don't worry Jack," Pitch laughs, "I've decided that it's too soon for you to die. You have proven yourself quite fun to toy with." His pale, grey face emerges from the shadows with a smirk tugging at his lips. "I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you so weak! You must be exhausted! And for what? You are no match for my power now. You are alone, Frost. Is it your guardian friends you're here for?" He waits for me to reply, but I refuse to say anything. Pitch sighs and closes his eyes, a smile spreading across his face, "No. I can see it in your fears. You're here for your precious queen!"

"Where…is she?" I snarl, aiming my staff threateningly at Pitch.

"She is safe, for now." He says, "I've given her a comfy little room in the dungeons where I will keep her until she is of no further use."

My hands tighten on my staff and I feel the desire to strangle Pitch's skinny neck. "If you hurt her…" I growl.

"Hurt her?" Pitch laughs, "I don't need to hurt her. Why, the little monster has been such a help with fueling my power. Her fear is delicious."

"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" I shout.

Pitch continues like he hasn't even heard me, "Can you hear it? Right now she's afraid for her sister, quite correctly I'm afraid. Poor Anna, a frozen heart and no one who loves her enough to thaw it." My thoughts fly to the memory of Hans picking up Anna and carrying her to the couch. What happened after I left? "And you, Frost," Pitch continues, jerking me from my thoughts, "You're afraid too, though you won't admit it."

"I'm not afraid to die, if that's what you think." I scoff.

Pitch chuckles, "No, You're much too noble for that, guardian. I can read your fear like a book. It's so obvious, you might as well be shouting it at me."

"Enlighten me." I say, rolling my eyes. Inside though, I know what he's going to say.

Pitch pauses and lingers in the suspense, seeming to enjoy himself. "You're afraid that all of your efforts will be in vain, that you won't be able to save the little queen, and she will die. But most of all, you're afraid that even if you do save her, it still won't matter. You are terrified, you always have been, since the day that you saw Elsa at her palace for the first time. You've never felt this way about anyone in all of your immortal years. You're afraid of this new feeling and what it could mean, but it's more than that. Jack Frost, your greatest fear is that Queen Elsa doesn't love you in return."

Even though I was expecting it, Pitch's words still hit me like a blow to the chest. I feel lightheaded and I gasp for air. I lean on my staff, pressing my hand to my chest, even though I'm in no physical pain. Pitch laughs and suddenly the floor drops beneath me, plunging me into darkness. As soon as I hit ground, I roll myself to my feet and hold my staff in front of me. Its magic glow casts blue light on the shadowy, stone walls surrounding me. My breath fogs in the cold air, but the chill doesn't faze me. "I can feel the question burning in your mind," Pitch's sneering voice echoes, "Could she really feel the same way you do?" Multiple shadowy forms of Pitch creep around the walls, making it impossible to know where he is, or even if he's really there. "You want to know so desperately, but you're afraid," Pitch continues, "You're afraid of the answer. What if she doesn't? What then? Your friendship will be ruined and she will never see you the same way again."

"Stop it!" I shout angrily, pressing my hands to my ears. I know he's trying to get in my head and use my fear against me. I race away through the dark corridors I find myself in, attempting to outrun Pitch's eerie laughter. With only the dim light of my staff to guide me, it's hard to tell where I'm going. The shadows keep shifting, and walls appear out of nowhere. I run for a long time, crashing into walls and turning corners when I must. Eventually, I stop short and spin around, unleashing a blast of ice into the darkness with a yell. The glowing white ice flies soundlessly down the hall, and I watch its uninterrupted progress until it fades from sight. I'm left in complete and utter silence. Pitch's laughter has stopped, no wind whistles against the stone, and nothing scurries in the shadows. It is an oppressive, ominous quiet that seems almost deathly. I feel my way along the stone walls more slowly and carefully now, keeping an eye out for any surprises Pitch has for me.

I find a short flight of stairs when I almost fall down them. I keep one hand against the rough wall and the other on my staff as I make my way down. At the bottom, I encounter the first glimmer of light. I'm in another hallway, but this one is shorter and wider. Along the sides, doors are lined up at regular intervals. Each door is made of heavy, solid wood with a tiny barred window in it. To take a guess, I would say that I'm in the palace dungeons. "Jack?" A female voice gasps shakily from behind one of the doors. I follow the sound and see a familiar, terrified face peeping through the bars of one small window.

"Elsa!"

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**If this chapter seemed a lot like the scene in ROTG where Jack goes to Pitch's lair, that's because it's supposed to. Anyway, tell wme what you think! Leave a review, and read on to the next chapter! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Elsaaaaaa! *spazzing and giggling like I'm sure you guys are* There's so much I want to say, but I better just let you read. There are some inconsistancies, but they're intentional. Read on.**

**I do not own Frozen or ROTG**

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**Chapter 22**

My feet carry me to the wooden door in an instant. I'm only stopped when the solid door blocks me. I hear chains clink as Elsa strains to come nearer to the barred window. I stretch my hand through the bars, but her chains won't let me reach her. "You came for me!" she cries, her beautiful, pale face full of relief. Her platinum braid falls perfectly over her shoulder and her icy blue eyes are as lovely as ever.

"Of course I came, Snowflake." I smile. My hand touches gently against the wood separating us, longing for that barrier to disappear. I can see the heavy iron chains clamped around Elsa's wrists, rubbing her skin raw. Her hands are free, however, and I can see her ice coating every part of her cell. Every part, except for the door and chains.

Elsa sees me wondering, and explains, "Pitch put some spell on them. I can't break them no matter how I try." She looks terrified, and I can see fear casting a shadow in her eyes. I suddenly notice that something is different about Elsa. Her pale skin is blotched and bruised with grey patches the color of Pitch's skin. Anger boils inside me. Pitch had hurt her. He had beaten her, so severely, she's practically shaking with fear. "Jack," Elsa whimpers, "you can't stay here. Pitch will kill you!"

I try to muster a confident smirk to reassure her. "I know," I laugh, "he already tried, but don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here." I back up a step and level my staff at the door. Elsa realizes what I'm doing and steps back as well. I hurtle a wave of ice from my staff at the door, but the ice only splashes against the wood and dissipates. I'm surprised. Usually a blast that strong would easily smash the door to splinters. I try again, but with the same results.

"Jack, it's no use!" Elsa sobs. She looks so frail and helpless inside the solid confines of her prison. I want to help her, but my own power is useless. Would this all be in vain? I came so close, only to be shut out at the last moment. I hang my head in defeat. Tears well in my eyes, and I can't tell if I'm angry or distraught. "Wait!" Elsa gasps, "I think I can see the keys! They're tucked into a crack in the wall on this side! If you pass me your staff, I might be able to reach them!"

It seems almost too good to be true. "Hurry then." I say, slipping my staff through the bars without a second thought. I turn my back to the door, and my eyes scan the shadows warily. This was probably what Pitch planned all along. He put the key to escape in precisely the right spot so I would have to be defenseless in order to rescue Elsa. I can hear my staff scraping at the stone behind me. "Hurry Elsa." I warn.

"I'm trying!" She huffs. My muscles are tense, expecting Pitch to jump out at any moment with a pack of nightmares at his side.

"Jack!" Elsa's voice screams, but not from behind me as I would expect. My eyes follow the sound, and I'm shocked to see Elsa's pale face framed in the bars of a door across the hall. Wait, what's going on? My head swivels around to look behind me again, and for a moment I can't even register what I'm seeing. The first Elsa's hair has changed completely jet black. The grey blotches on her skin have grown to cover every hint of paleness, and her icy blue eyes gleam yellow. In that moment, I realize that what I had assumed were bruises were actually a hint at this dark Elsa's true features. The wooden door swings open, and dark Elsa stands with a smirk on her lips and my staff in her hands. Her once aqua ice dress gleams obsidian. As I watch in stunned horror, her form blurs and smears into streaks of black and grey. When the colors gather into a shape again, Pitch suddenly stands before me, my staff in his hands.

"Sentiment." He laughs, running a finger along the curve of the staff, "Such a funny little thing." I risk a glance back at what I now realize is the real Elsa. She looks like she's trying to shout something at me, but I can't hear her. Tears run down her face and she's pulling against her chains with all her might. I notice that her chains are slightly different than the fake Elsa's in that they completely cover her hands.

I rip my attention back to Pitch, knowing that it's dangerous to break eye contact with him for longer than a moment. Some instinct inside of me lifts my hands protectively in front of me, but without my staff, I don't know how I can defend myself. I have no weapon against Pitch's nightmares, and I'm effectively grounded, keeping me from flying away. Not that I would willingly leave Elsa anyway, but I'm helpless, and Pitch knows it. I feel like I once did standing on a frozen lake, watching the ice crack under my sister's feet. The same thoughts surge through my mind: I have to save her, but how?

"Poor Jack," Pitch sneers, "I told you that it would be no use. Here you are, helpless to save your little queen, my little _monster_. You're a fool Jack Frost! You've practically handed yourself over to me, and for what? The queen is mine, she always has been! Consumed by her fear, giving me strength! If not for your pathetic meddling, she would be the perfect ruler for me. The human face for the immortal empire, but I've found another who will fill the part. Once I reach my full strength, the queen will be of no further use. She will die, and so will you, knowing there is nothing you can do to help her."

"No!" I scream, rushing at Pitch. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I know I have to do something. Before I can reach him, Pitch dissolves into a pool of black sand. I hear the sand slither against the stone floor and I spin around just in time to see my staff screaming toward my face. The staff slams hard into my cheek, whipping my head to the side and sending a starburst of pain along my jaw. I tumble to the floor and the side of my head cracks against stone. I somehow manage to roll to my feet, far enough away from Pitch to give me a moment to recover. Pitch laughs and I can feel a trickle of blood drip from my mouth. I think I bit my tongue, though I don't remember biting it, and the whole side of my face where the staff hit is on fire. I gingerly touch the swelling area, finding a bleeding scrape along my cheekbone. Pitch is coming at me again. I manage to block or deflect his first several swings with my arms, which hurts, but at least I'm defending myself.

Eventually, Pitch manages to catch me in the stomach with the staff. I double over in pain, and the next thing I know, my legs are swept from beneath me and I'm on the ground again. A shadow looms over me and a pressure bears down against my neck, choking the air from my throat. I reach up and try desperately to push it away and find that it's my staff. I struggle to free myself, but Pitch has me thoroughly pinned. I'm completely out of ideas, and there's nothing I can do but wait to die. I can't save Elsa, I can't defend myself, and I can't get away. Nightmares begin to appear around me, waiting only for Pitch's command to attack.

"I really thought you would be more of a challenge," Pitch gloats, "In the end, you're quite disappointing. You're a fool Jack Frost! Nothing can stop my power now. The world will tremble with fear! Not that you'll live long enough to see it."

I look back at Elsa. If I'm going to die now, there's one thing I need to say. Tears cascade down her face. I still can't hear her, but I can tell that she's screaming my name. She's pulling so hard on her chains, they screech under the strain. Ice seeps across the metal like frozen spider webs, highlighting the surface over her hands with white. My mouth is half open, the words on my lips still unspoken, when a single crazy idea blossoms in my mind. I look back up at Pitch, with his triumphant smile, and manage to put on a smirk of my own. Pitch's face contorts into a snarl of confusion and anger. I focus my power inside me with every ounce of my determination. I've never tried this before, but there's always a first time for everything.

The palms of my hands radiate with cold as I channel my power into them. Pitch tries to press my staff harder into my neck to make me stop. I strain to hold it back, feeling my energy build up until it seems like I'm going to burst. Then I let it all rush from my palms; a tsunami of ice released toward Pitch. Both he and my staff are propelled away from me, crashing into the stone wall on the other end of the hall. Slowly, I struggle to my feet, gasping for breath. My outburst has coated the entire hall with frost and has left me feeling weak and drained. Pitch looks dumbstruck, and I try not to give away how much energy that move had taken away from me. I'm breathing heavily and my legs feel wobbly, but I try to look cool and confident.

An old barrier inside me seems to have faded away. I had always used my staff to direct my powers, and I never thought that I could fight without it. Seeing Elsa had opened my eyes to the way she channeled her power. She didn't need anything but herself. I raise my arms in front of me like I remember Elsa doing when we fought nightmares together, and a chill builds in my palms again. Pitch staggers to his feet, laughing. "Finally!" He mocks, "We can have some fun!"

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**Even a guardian can learn stuff from the queen of epicness! Yah! I hope you guys liked that little trick that I had Pitch play. *smile evily* Don't worry, this Elsa _is_ real now. Please leave a review to ask questions, tell me what you liked, or suggest things to make it even better. I can't wait to get the next chapter to you guys, probably as much as you guys can't wait to read it! Still, I won't make any promises because then I feel bad if I have to break them.**


	23. Chapter 23

**I'm back! Thanks again for all your wonderful comments. I love seeing your reactions to the chapters. Your reviews have given me some more ideas on how to do the ending, which sadly, might be coming up in a few chapters. :( I love writing this story for you guys, it makes me so happy. I hope you love it as much as I love it.**

**Once again, I do not own Frozen or ROTG.**

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**Chapter 23** – Elsa's POV

My arms hurt from pulling so hard against my chains. Every time I lunge forward, my shoulders scream in their sockets, but I keep struggling. Only a few feet in front of me, Jack is alone and defenseless against Pitch and all of his nightmares. My face is wet with tears and my breath comes in jerking sobs. Pitch has Jack pinned to the ground and is choking him with his staff. I don't want to watch Jack die, but I can't bring myself to look away. A small part of me hopes that this is just another nightmare, but deep down I know that it's not. Jack looks at me, a resigned sadness in his eyes as he accepts what is coming. It breaks my heart. I scream his name, begging him not to give up, but I can't break Pitch's spell a second time to make myself heard. Thin ice spreads along my chains and the floor around me. Still, my restraints hold. Even now, I can't make my powers obey me.

A shock wave of ice suddenly radiates from Jack. Pitch is thrown back, and the nightmares retreat into the shadows, whinnying nervously. Jack stands alone with his arms outstretched like me when I use my powers to fight. He looks exhausted, but alive. He's alive. Relief flows over me like cool water, but only for a moment. Pitch stands back up and the nightmares close in again. Jack is completely drained. He tries not to show it, but I know he's outmatched. I hear Pitch say something, but it is muffled by the same spell that renders me mute. The shadowy horses surge forward, and Jack is engulfed in black sand. I can hear him shout and see brief flashes of ice as he struggles violently. The sand horses come in overwhelming numbers, stomping and kicking savagely with their hooves. I can't see Jack anymore behind the sand, but I can hear him cry out in pain, and the flashes of ice come less frequently.

Pitch snaps his fingers, and the nightmares slowly back away. I can see Jack now. He's lying on the ground, badly bruised and bleeding from countless injuries. He tries to push himself up, but his arms shake and give out beneath him. I can't even hear myself scream anymore, and I have no more tears to cry. The room around me cools dramatically, and ice coats the walls and ceiling. Pitch saunters up to Jack, calm and triumphant. Jack remains motionless, unable to muster the strength to fight. My chains groan under the strain of my struggles and are painted white with ice. Pitch roughly kicks Jack to roll him face up, and I hear Jack cry out again. He bends down to pick up Jack by his neck, his feet dangling above the floor. Jack gasps for breath, weakly trying to pry Pitch's hand away.

"What a heroic guardian!" Pitch taunts, "Willing to die to protect others. Except, you aren't really protecting her at all, are you?"

"Elsa…I…" Jack manages to gasp. Pitch tightens his grip, choking out the rest of the sentence. A wicked black dagger materializes from dark swirling sand in Pitch's hand. Jack sees it, and looks over at me.

"You were so determined to protect her, Frost!" Pitch sneers, "But who will protect you?"

I will _not_ sit by and watch Jack die again! Ice radiates from my body with an earsplitting scream. All my fear, all my determination, poured out in a thundering explosion. Pitch and Jack hurtle away from each other as the shockwave detonates. Wood beams in the ceiling splinter, stones from the walls crumble down, and the door in front of me flies from its hinges. My hands tear free of my chains, and the explosion throws me through the window behind me. I cover my face with my arms to protect myself from the shattered glass as I tumble onto the frozen fjord. Some of the pieces cut me, but I am lucky to avoid major injuries. I slide to a stop, and slowly lift my head. Instantly, the wind attacks me like a furious cat jumping to dig its claws into my skin. It hisses in my ear, bites and scratches at my skin, and tears wildly through my hair like blond yarn. Through the swirling snow, I can see a huge hole is blasted in the stone wall of the castle where I came through. Everything inside is coated with ice. I can't see Jack or Pitch. I scramble to my feet and climb back inside, carefully avoiding the jagged shards of glass. The wind howls through two opposite holes in the walls where I assume Jack and Pitch had blasted through, but neither of them are anywhere to be seen. I have to find Jack. He's hurt, and Pitch is surely still out there. I race back out into the blizzard and start searching the swirling whiteness.

"Jack?" I shout again and again with no answer. The biting cold of the wind doesn't bother me, but it keeps whipping my hair in my face and pushing me until I stumble. "Jack?" I can't see where I'm going, and I can't even see the castle anymore. The only breaks in the snow are the vast forms of wooden ships frozen in the water. Their hulls creak in the wind, and unseen ice cracks. I'm doing this. I'm making this blizzard. The snow that lashes through the air is a reminder that I can't control my powers. A reminder of the swirling storm inside. My mind reels wildly with 'what ifs' and 'if onlys'. Unconsciously, I wrap my arms around myself and hide my hands. Fear seeps in my veins like the cold wind that whistles through every crack it can find. I bow my head against the gale and press on, searching for any glimpse of Jack.

I've just about given up hope of finding _anything_ in this storm. What if Pitch already got to Jack before me? What if while I'm lost here, Jack is dying? No, don't think about that. "Elsa!" a voice calls behind me.

"Jack?" I gasp as I spin around, but instead of Jack's snowy hair, I see a man with ginger hair. It's Prince Hans.

"You can't run from this!" He shouts, gesturing to the swirling snowstorm around us. I'm immediately aware of my hidden hands. I hadn't realized how guilty I felt until now. A blizzard is tearing through Arendelle, trapping boats and forcing people inside, and it's all my fault. I can't control my powers, and my subjects have to suffer the consequences. I think about what Hans said. Am I trying to outrun this storm inside of me?

"Just take care of my sister!" I beg, starting to back away from Hans. I have to find Jack, he'll know how to fix this. He'll say just the right thing to calm me down.

"Your sister?" Hans scoffs, like I've said something offensive. "She came back from the mountain weak and cold. She said that you froze her heart!"

Fear blossoms in my mind and sends my thoughts racing. "No" I breathe. Not Anna. I never meant to hurt her! Why? Why can't I just control my powers? I can't help it! It's not my fault! I don't want to hurt anyone, but I just can't keep myself from making a mess! I froze her heart. Distant memories of a troll saying 'You are lucky it wasn't her heart…' crawl in my mind. I feel weak and dizzy. This can't be happening.

"I tried to save her," Hans continues, "but it was too late." Too late. My stomach drops and my breath comes short. "Her skin was ice, her hair turned white. Your sister is dead. Because of you!"

"No!" I gasp. I can hardly get enough air into my lungs to say that. Tears start to brim in my eyes. Anna is dead. It's all my fault. My sister, so full of happiness and life. I remember her knocking on my door when we were children, asking to build a snowman. We will never build that snowman together. I can't bear to look at Hans's accusing face. The grief engulfs me as soon as I turn away. I fall to my knees and curl into myself, shaking with sobs as I let the tears fall. I'm so sorry Anna! As soon as my knees hit the ice, the swirling blizzard stops in its tracks. A clear stillness radiates out from me like a wave, but I don't care. My whole body shudders with crying. I wish I could turn back time and stop this from ever happening. Why did it have to be Anna? It should have been me instead. I'm the one who can't control my powers, so I should have to suffer the consequences. Not her, anyone but her. She was too young to die! I killed my own sister, and now my whole family is gone. I am alone.

A comforting hand rests on my shoulder. For a second I think it might be Hans, or even Jack, but then I look up and see Pitch's pale grey face. "You poor thing," He says sadly, "I thought you always wanted to be alone."

"Get away Pitch!" I shriek, thrusting his hand off my shoulder. Pitch looks genuinely sad, and for a moment, I almost convince myself that he actually cares.

"Perhaps your sister was right. You only know how to shut people out." He sighs. "You and I both knew this would happen eventually. When you get too close to others, they get hurt. You don't want to hurt them, of course you don't, but they just don't stay away. No one seems to understand, but I do."

"No you don't." I cry, "How could you?"

"You and I are more alike than you think, Elsa." He says, beginning to stroke my hair. I'm surprised. He almost never calls me by my name. In the back of my mind, I start to wonder if he really can understand me. When I don't say anything, Pitch continues. "I too have longed to be accepted, but my power denies me. I want to be loved and have a family, but all I can do is hurt and spread fear. I know what it feels like to be cast out, hated and alone. Join with me Elsa. Cold and dark? That's a combination that's meant to be! You can be yourself, and no one will dare to get in your way. You can finally live without the fear of hurting!"

Part of me calls out, 'Yes! It's the only way!' but I know deep down that Pitch is not my friend, no matter what he says. "No Pitch," I reply in a forceful but steady tone, "I'm nothing like you. I don't want to be feared, and I won't help you."

Pitch's sad face turns into a scowl and he takes a step back from me. "Very well. Then I have no further use for you."

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**Something tells me the reviews for this chapter will look an aweful lot like the ones for the last chapter. :) Please tell me what you think, and if you have any suggestions for what you think should happen! I hope to update soon.**

**On a sad note though, one of our fellow authors really needs our support. I have been reading a fanfic by a user named Scarlette Army, and I'm sad to say, that in Scarlette's last update, she revealed that things have taken a horrible turn in her life. I ask all of you to please go to her page, read chapter 8 of her story _Falling Slowly_, and send her a review of encouragement. Our fellow writer is going through some difficult times, and we need to let her know that there are people in the world who care. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey everyone! I'm glad to be back! I think Elsa and Jack missed me too, because I got a snowday today! Thanks to everyone who sent words of encouragement to our fellow writer. I haven't heard back from her yet, but I hope she's doing well. Thanks also to my faithful reviewers, and guest reviewer! Midnight Storm, I'm glad you're impressed, what you noticed was definitly a goal for this fic. Katherine the Fabulous, I love the Fault in Our Stars referance. I actually hadn't seen the movie or read the book when I wrote that chapter, but I have now 3. As always, I love all of your reviews, and I'm excited to see what you guys think of this chapter! Only 2 more chapters after this one! :( So sad this fic is ending. I don't think I will write a sequel, because I have another book planned that is completely different. It's not a fic, but maybe I'll give you guys a preview of it with the next chapter if you want.**

**I don't own Frozen or ROTG! ;)**

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**Chapter 24** - Jack's POV

I can't breathe, and darkness creeps in around my vision. I see a dagger form in Pitch's hand and I look at Elsa. I wish there was something I could do, but I have no strength left. Suddenly, a blinding flash tears me away from Pitch and I can breathe. My back smashes hard into stone, and then I'm out in the open. Freezing wind pulls and pushes on me as I fall. I see a flat white surface rushing toward my face. It takes all my effort to direct myself into a roll that takes me tumbling across thick ice. For a moment, I just lay there on the cold surface, enjoying the sensation of sharp, frosty air entering my lungs. The chill feels great against my injuries. Everything aches, and I can feel where wet blood oozes down my skin.

Elsa. The flash that saved me. It must have been Elsa. I had come to rescue Elsa, but instead, she rescued me. She could still be in trouble. Pitch wouldn't go down so easily. He'll come for me or her soon. I have to get moving. I try to sit up, but the pain forces me to lie down again. The ice had been white when I landed on it, but now it was starting to stain red around me. I feel the ice under my back, and I allow its cold to seep into my muscles. I reach up and feel snow blow between my fingers. I reach out with what power I have left and pull the blizzard in toward me. Snowflakes brush against my skin and the chilly wind sooths my injuries. The iciness courses through my body, restoring my strength. I press my hand to each place where I'm bleeding, and frost knits my skin together. I remember North telling me that I could probably do something like this, but I'd never had the occasion to try it. Today is definitely a day of firsts. I stretch my muscles experimentally, and I only feel a little pain. Slowly, I push myself to my feet and steady myself. My body screams in protest, but the pain is at least bearable now.

I try a step forward, and then another. I have a slight limp, but otherwise I'm alright. I wish I had my staff to lean on. The blizzard is definitely not making walking any easier. I concentrate my powers, and an ice staff forms in my hands. Much better. Now I have something to lean on, and I feel more comfortable fighting with a staff than with my hands. I guess 300 year habits are hard to break. Looking at the ice staff, I can't help but think, Elsa taught me how to do that. My thoughts turn to her and my mind is alive with memories. The easy weight of her head resting on my shoulder, her icy blue eyes, my arms around her waist as we fly through the sky together, the sweet smell of her soft hair, the way her cheeks pinch when she smiles, a snowball fight, a rose made of ice, a near-kiss in the woods.

I'm so sorry Elsa. I wish you had told me about Pitch sooner. Why would you keep something like that from me? I should have known though. Even if she never said it, the fear was always there, always lurking in her eyes. I guess I had never seen her without it, so that's why I didn't notice. No, stop making excuses for yourself Jack. I should have fought harder, I shouldn't have been so stupid. Then maybe Elsa would be safe. Tooth would tell me not to blame myself. There's nothing I can do to change what's happened. I have to focus on what I'm going to do now. I can't help feeling responsible for everything. If only I had done more…stop it that's not helping! Should I even be searching for Elsa? What if it's too late and Pitch already found her? Shouldn't I be looking for the guardians instead? What if I give my life for Elsa, and it's just another one of Pitch's tricks? What if she doesn't….? Bunny would laugh at me for being afraid, especially afraid of something as silly as love. I'd never hear the end of it.

Crack. Wooden ships stuck in the surrounding ice groan in the wind. The blizzard crashes against them, slowly pushing them over. The white surface beneath my feet splinters and I barely have time to realize what is happening. My instincts push me into the air and I hover above the dark, frigid water. "Sven!" Someone shouts. I look over and I'm surprised to see Kristoff. What's he doing here? An aching pain shudders through my body, and I'm forced to glide down and land back on the ice. My leg complains when I touch the ground, and I grip my ice staff tighter. Sven's head pops up over the icy waves, and the reindeer scrambles noisily onto a floating piece of ice. Kristoff sighs in relief and says, "Good boy," before turning and running off on his own. I don't think he noticed me at all. Only one thing could make him that focused and make him ditch Sven, he must be looking for Anna.

Pitch is still out there somewhere. I should warn Kristoff of the danger, but heck, he wouldn't stop anyway. Just like I wouldn't stop searching for Elsa. As I continue walking, I look back and see Sven stranded on the ice. He looks so sad and helpless, I send a little ice to freeze a path for him to the unbroken ice. The reindeer gladly scrambles across, then runs over to me. "You're welcome bud." I sigh as he insistently licks my face. I try to push him away as I laugh, "You haven't seen Anna's sister anywhere have you? Elsa?" Sven only looks at me with a confused but happy expression. He probably doesn't even know what Elsa looks like. I sigh and give the reindeer a pat before limping away. Sven trots after me, nuzzling his smelly, brown-furred nose against my arm. "What is it Sven?" I grumble, lifting my arm away.

I could swear that reindeer gave me a sad smile as he nudged his neck under my arm. He wants to help me. "Thanks." I say, gratefully leaning my weight onto Sven. He walks slowly to make sure I don't fall and his hooves clack on the ice. I didn't realize how tense and sore I was. We make slow progress against the blizzard winds, and the time passes agonizingly. I know that every second I'm not with Elsa, Pitch has more time to find her first. I can't let that happen. My legs scream in protest, but I force them to go faster. Sven tries his best to block some of the wind and even tries to nudge me into his saddle, but I'm too weak to lift myself up.

Suddenly, the wind just stops. It's like someone flicked a switch, and the wind is gone. It's so sudden, snowflakes are left frozen in the air like they've been forgotten. Finally, I can see further than a few feet in front of me. Sven perks up next to me when he sees Kristoff a little ways ahead of us. A tiny speck of a person is in the distance past Kristoff. It must be Anna, because Kristoff starts running toward her so fast, he trips for a moment on the ice. Sven hurries toward Kristoff, dragging me along with him. We're close enough now that I can see Anna more clearly. She looks awful. Ice coats her clothing and her fingers are blue and frostbitten. Not a single strand of her whitened hair is its original tawny orange. She struggles stiffly toward Kristoff with a relieved smile on her lips.

The sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath draws the attention of both Anna and I. That ginger-haired man, what was his name? Hans. He's the one who has drawn his sword. "Elsa!" I gasp, immediately releasing my grip on Sven. Elsa is on her knees, and even from this distance, I can see that she's crying. Hans is standing over her, his sword raised and a wicked grin on his face. My legs scream in protest as I run toward Elsa. I force myself to ignore the pain. I. Have. To. Stop. Him. Pitch is standing not far away from Elsa, smirking in triumph as Hans' sword comes down. I'm too far away. The blade seems to fall in slow motion as I run as fast as I can. I can hardly feel my legs anymore. It's like they belong to someone else. All I can feel is the steady thump of my feet on the ice as the deadly sword descends on the woman I love. Too slow, I'm too slow, too far. I can't make it.

"NO!"

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**^v^ Tell me what you think! Also, if you have any specific suggestions for what should happen to Pitch, I'm open to ideas. Sorry about the cliffhanger...but I love them. **


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